


Shadows Behind You

by refan



Category: 2PM (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, From hate to love, Junbros - Freeform, M/M, Sarcasm, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-02-14 16:52:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 130,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13012062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/refan/pseuds/refan
Summary: Robotics engineer Junho enjoys his life until he's suddenly forced to be protected by a bodyguard, Minjun. His freedom now gone, his refusal to believe his life is in danger has led to his hostility for the bodyguard. Will Junho change his mind and accept the shadow that follows him?





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks @elise0917 for editing!

[](https://imgur.com/PM0Y7O7)

 

A light breeze fluffs his hair as he exits the coffee shop with a takeaway cup in his large hands. The street is full of chatter from people hurrying back to their workplaces after lunch. The sun is quite pleasant today, but Junho still keeps his jacket zipped tightly; it’s an early spring, so best not to try his immune system. Not that he’s an avid health freak, but he’d rather work than lie in a sickbed feeling completely useless.

It’s always been like that for him: work, work and a bit more work. Being a business owner and a robotics engineer are challenging, but Junho’s not one to shy away from a challenge. On the contrary, his stubbornness paved the way to recognition and juicy business deals. Coming from a rich and well-known family, Junho wanted to prove he wasn’t just another lazy rich kid with his dad’s money behind him; though, he did have to accept a hefty amount for the investment in his own company because everyone has to start somewhere. And with his visionary mind, he was able to attract a great team of young professionals under his wing. Things couldn’t have been better for him, except for one thing: he struggled to form a sincere, warm bond with his father, despite being the only child. So, when Junho got a call from him saying there’s something important to discuss, Junho was secretly hoping it’d be something good. 

He stops in front of the three-story glass building and sighs; meetings with his father were never the most pleasant experience. Junho puts on a mask respectful compliance, hoping it’s the right one this time, because he is tired of walking on eggshells around the old man.

His father’s law firm is known for being the biggest and the best in the country, and therefore, such a huge office building. Being the son of a tough prosecutor has never been easy. Junho often felt anxiety around his father, so he could only imagine what kind of emotion his father was capable of imposing on the ones he’s going after. Strict and stern best described the accomplished, professional Mr. Lee.

Junho enters the building and stops at reception, a woman with chin-length hair smiles at him. “Hey, Hyerim.” He greets her with a polite smile.

“If I were you, I’d hurry. He’s waiting.” She winks and Junho curses inwardly. His father has always been a very punctual man, as expected from someone working in criminal justice. Junho glances at his watch as he enters the elevator.

_1:25 PM_

“Fuck.” He leans against the glossy wall. Junho was supposed to be here 25 minutes ago. He will have to deal with his father’s criticism all because of the very unsatisfied customer in front of him at the coffee shop. He’d gladly throw that soy milk latte she wasn’t happy about at her face.

He exits into the hallway, passing some wooden doors, and hurries towards his final destination. He strides through the waiting area and notices something odd: two rather large men in black suits securing the way to his father’s office. Did he hire bodyguards?

They don’t stop him though, probably already aware of his importance here.

Junho shuts the door behind him and scans the office: decorative wood carvings on the walls and shelves stacked with law books; nothing had changed since the last time he visited the prosecutor. The view from the glass wall-sized window is impressive as always, as it faces the river with some greenery on the side. His father is sitting behind a massive table typing something on his computer, showing no attention to his offspring.

Then, Junho notices another figure across the room, almost one with the shadow of a bookshelf. He’s a little taller than Junho, black suit and tie, white shirt, shiny black shoes, and light brown hair slicked back, accentuating his handsome features. If not for the rise and fall of the man’s chest, Junho would think it’s a cut-out of a suit model. His eyes scan the man’s face and it shows no expression, but the man’s eyes are analysing Junho back, making the latter feel somewhat unpleasant. Reminds him of that one time when he broke into a neighbour’s pool, intoxicated for the first time during his 17th birthday, and got caught swimming butt naked by said neighbour. The neighbour knew him, obviously, but the disappointed look he gave Junho was imprinted on his brain indefinitely. Why he is feeling like that right now, Junho has no idea because he didn’t do anything bad except for being late and that shouldn’t concern the unfamiliar man. Junho averts his gaze back to his dad.

“Sorry, I know I’m late–”

“Sit.” His father commands without sparing him a glance. Junho breathes out nervously as he takes a seat across the table. Why does it feel like an interrogation is about to happen?

He waits a couple of minutes, feeling the probable-bodyguard’s gaze on him, until the old man finally reclines back in his seat. There’s a deep crease between his greying eyebrows. 

“If I say we have an important meeting, I expect you to treat it as such,” he says, placing his arms on the wooden table and clasping his fingers. Junho leans forward and puts the half empty cup on the table.

“I am. It’s not my fault the idiot in front of me wasn’t satisfied with the coffee and made a scene,” he reasons, but his father’s heavy sigh betrays irritation at the excuse.

“You could’ve left without the coffee. My time is precious, your coffee is not.” Junho looks away, swallowing his argumentative response. His father bends forward slightly. “Now, that we got this out of the way, let’s talk about important matters.”

“Related to the new faces in your office?”

“Yes. My position comes with a certain level of danger, being a prosecutor who goes against the scum of this country. It’s inevitable.” He leans back a little. “Currently, I’m going after a group of organized-crime leaders who have ties with the government. It’s the most complicated case of my career. Two days ago, one of my colleagues was almost kidnapped, and we received information that it was the doing of the Serpent; that’s the name they go by.”

“So, you got yourself a couple of bodyguards? Sounds about right.” Junho shrugs. Being cautious makes sense.

“I hired a bodyguard for you as well. Just to be safe.” Junho jolts forward in his seat.

“Hold on.” Now it’s Junho’s turn to frown. “I don’t need and don’t want a bodyguard. I don’t need someone babysitting me.”

“The choice is not yours.” His father’s lips tighten, which Junho recognizes as a sign of anger. This is about to get difficult.

“What the hell, Father, I’m not a child. I’m 27 years old and can take care of myself! I’m not related to the goddamn case in any way!” Junho stands up and his father does the same, clearly out of patience as he slams his hands on the hard surface of the table.

“You’re related to _me_! Did you forget?!” Junho suddenly remembers they’re not alone in this office and the presence on his left is still there. Fuck, having a spectator at a time like this is the last thing Junho wants. He hates being put in a position where he has to take shit from his father and swallow it all down. So humiliating. “I received an envelope with our photos in it, a small bag of ash attached to them. Do you know what that means?!” Junho shakes his head, looking away. “It’s a death threat!”

An eerie silence follows and Junho sits down, rubbing his forehead. There’s no way out of this, is there?

“This is not a debate.” The prosecutor sits down as well, regaining his composure. “I’ve sent a security company to install proper security systems in your house where there will be a team of guards 24/7. Your personal bodyguard is this man.” Junho looks at the bodyguard approaching him with his hand extended for a handshake.

“Kim Minjun. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Junho would so like to ignore the handshake, but his father is mentally throwing daggers at him and Junho cannot afford the luxury of being rude right now. He stands up and gives a very brief handshake.

“I assume you know my name.” Junho doesn’t really look at the bodyguard. Trying to stay composed and calm, Junho turns his gaze to the cup on the table.

“He knows everything about you.” His father’s voice gets his attention.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Your work, schedule and similar important information,” Mr. Lee explains. “Here are the rules: Mr. Kim will pick you up every morning and drop you off at home every night. Once you’re back home, you’re not allowed to leave until Mr. Kim returns in the morning. You’re not to be left alone during the day; everywhere you go, your bodyguard follows.”

“Can I shit in peace at least? Or does he have to hold my hand even in the toilet?” Junho’s on edge, feeling his freedom slip away bit by bit. 

“Junho!” The prosecutor slams his hand against the table once again, forcing Junho to slump in the chair. “This man was a part of the military Special Forces and he deserves respect! He’s a highly skilled professional tasked with keeping you safe, so cut the crap.” Junho shows no intention of talking back, so his father continues. “Mr. Kim will report to me every night. If you decide to run away from him…” Junho snorts. “I will make sure not only Mr. Kim but also a couple more bodyguards will assist you while you take a shit.”

“How long will I have to endure this?” Junho’s gaze is focused solely on the carpet, and if he had magical powers, there’d already be holes in it.

“Until I find enough evidence to put the Serpent leaders behind bars.”

“That could take years!” Junho jumps from his seat, overflowing desperation in his voice.

“So, you better start getting along with Mr. Kim here. He’ll be your shadow.”

Junho stares at his father, withstanding the latter’s heavy gaze. This is fucking bullshit. He may as well go to a prison and get himself locked up until this blows over.

“Are we clear?” The older man’s low voice sends shivers down Junho’s spine. He lost this battle.

“Yes,” he says sharply.

“Good. The security company has prepared a special vehicle that you’ll have to use from now on. No more toy cars,” the prosecutor says. Junho’s nostrils flare in frustration, thinking about his lime green Lamborghini at home.

“Seriously?” Junho glowers at his dad. This whole deal has gone too far.

“Son, this is for your safety. You’ll thank me someday.” His father sits down and types in the computer password to resume his work.

Junho walks around the chair and stops at the window, his frustrated gaze lingering on a child chasing after a kite by the river. He’d gladly switch places with the kid at this moment.

“That’s your final word, huh?” he says, admitting defeat.

“Yes. You can go back to your regular schedule.”

Junho shifts and scowls at his father working on something, his stern expression clearly stating this conversation is over. Junho sighs and doesn’t say goodbye as he exits the room with the bodyguard following him behind. When they enter the elevator, Minjun presses the underground floor button.

Junho glares at his profile as if trying to get inside his head, but the bodyguard wears a neutral expression that baffles Junho. Is he even human?

“Something on my face?” Minjun says without looking at him.

“Your face is the problem,” Junho scoffs.

“How come?”

“I’d rather not see it.”

“Too bad you have no choice.” Minjun turns his head and smirks.

The audacity of that little shit. Junho frowns as the elevator bell rings and the door opens. Minjun wastes no time leading the way, taking the key from his pocket and pressing the unlock button. The lights of a huge black Range Rover Sentinel SUV blink two times and Junho’s jaw drops slightly. Sure, his Lamborghini is amazing, but this vehicle is impressive, too. Minjun opens the back door for him.

“I can open the door myself,” he hisses, aggressively passing Minjun and settling into the leather backseat. The bodyguard says nothing as he closes the door.

Minjun takes his place behind the wheel and starts the car. “Destination?”

“I suppose you already know where I work.” Minjun nods and the rest of their trip continues in silence. Junho can’t even enjoy the smooth ride with the blood boiling in his veins.

+

Minjun doesn’t open the door for him this time. Junho lets himself out of the vehicle and struts angrily towards the staircase, unsettled by the shadow looming behind him. He still hasn’t calmed down. He feels even more vicious as the realization settles into his consciousness: he has a goddamn babysitter. An adult man. Lee Junho. He owns this robotics company and he’s forced to have this person watch his every move.

They reach the lobby and Junho starts to march off towards his office, but the voice on his left stops him.

“Junho?” He notices his personal assistant behind the table, slight confusion on his face as he glances at the figure in the dark suit next to Junho. Oh, right, Nichkhun doesn’t know what happened, but unfortunately Junho is too angry to explain it all at the moment.

“That’s my bodyguard. I don’t want anyone bothering me today,” he declares and leaves, letting Nichkhun know at least that much. He knows Nichkhun isn’t at fault, and being harsh is not really what the man deserves because he’s Junho’s right-hand man at this place, but he just cannot control his behaviour.

He expects a loud bang as he forcefully swings the door shut behind him, but Junho instead hears a simple thud and a click, which makes him turn around. Minjun is right there.

“Seriously? The walls are made of glass, you don’t need to stay in the same room with me.” Minjun walks past him, ignoring whatever Junho said. He looks through the window, seemingly searching for something. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for dangerous spots in case someone tries to snipe you.” He pulls out his phone and types something in it.

“Snipe me? Like that would ever happen. My father got himself two bodyguards and I got only one. I think that says a lot.”

“So, you’d rather have two bodyguards?” Minjun glances at him curiously. “I thought one was too much and now you’re jealous because your father has two?”

“What?!” Junho shrieks in disbelief. This bodyguard allows himself too much familiarity. “Don’t you think your tongue is too loose?” Minjun raises his eyebrow briefly and slides the phone back into his jacket pocket as he moves over to Junho, standing right in front of him. Junho didn’t think it was possible for the bodyguard’s eyes to look even darker from up close, and there’s that unpleasant feeling again, like he’s being analysed on a molecular level.

“You expect respect, but show none. I’m your bodyguard, not a punching bag. Your father warned me you could get very temperamental sometimes, but I’m used to such childish behaviour since a lot of people seem to have this type of defence mechanism. However, don’t push it. I’ll be outside.” Before Junho can even retort, Minjun leaves the room and takes his position on the other side of the glass door.

Junho grabs a random book from his table and throws it across the room, feeling humiliated like he’s never felt before. Of course his father would allow this shitbag full freedom of speech. Junho is just an object to him that he was paid to protect. Nothing more, nothing less.

He regains his composure after a while and sits back behind the glass table, opening his laptop. From his periphery, he can see Nichkhun approaching Minjun and feels betrayed when his assistant smiles at the bodyguard while saying something that makes the latter smile back. Nichkhun must be a saint to extract such a sincere smile from that vile creature. Their conversation ends a few minutes later and Nichkhun goes back to his desk.

Junho grins as he types Minjun’s name into the google search bar, ready to dig for some dirt. Maybe the bodyguard has embarrassing videos on his social networks. His grin, however, falls when after extensive research he finds no trace of this Kim Minjun. It’s like he doesn’t exist online. What is this nonsense? There’s nothing he can find on this guy. 

Junho groans and decides to answer a bunch of emails instead to get his thoughts off the whole situation.

+

It’s already a little past 8 PM when Junho realizes he actually got so immersed in work that he lost track of time. Now that he’s back to reality, he exhales in frustration. He notices Minjun is still in the same position he was earlier and the thought brings a sinister smirk to his face.

“Good, motherfucker, I hope your legs turn to jelly,” he mumbles.

He grabs his stuff and exits the room. As expected, Minjun follows him to the underground parking lot without saying anything, and that’s a relief. Maybe if they don’t talk to each other, Junho can endure this situation, but the bodyguard’s mere presence is annoying.

Somehow, Minjun gets ahead of him when they enter the parking lot and extends his arm, forcing Junho to halt.

“Are there surveillance cameras here?” His voice is somewhat too loud and Junho looks in the direction Minjun is staring.

Then, he sees two men: one of them is smoking while leaning on the car door and the other one is behind the wheel. The smoker has a shaved head, while his accomplice has a bun tied on top of his head. Junho knows pretty much everyone in this building and they don’t look familiar. These guys have a weird vibe.

“Of course, there are cameras here.” He makes sure to sound as loud as Minjun, but somehow his intonation is almost comical. Minjun doesn’t smile. He leads Junho to the Range Rover while also keeping an eye on the odd duo.

Once they’re inside the vehicle, Minjun asks, “Do they look familiar to you?”

“No,” he admits. “But maybe they’re waiting for someone. Don’t be paranoid.” Minjun drives the car out of the parking lot into the main street.

“Yeah? Well, they’re following us.” Minjun glances at the mirror and Junho turns around in his seat, kind of glad this SUV has tinted windows.

Indeed, the car is the same but the occupants are not visible in the dark. Junho feels his heart beat faster but tries not to think too much of it. This could mean nothing.

He feels the car pick up speed and Minjun swerves between the lanes skilfully. Junho hates to admit it, but his bodyguard is a pretty good driver. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to lose them.” Junho looks back at their alleged pursuers who really look like they’re trying to follow the same route.

“And what if we don’t lose them? Are they going to bust out a rocket launcher and kill us?” Minjun actually chuckles at that while taking a sharp turn to the right.

“No, I think they’re trying to intimidate us. If they wanted to kill us, we’d already be taking on bullets. This is just the beginning.” He takes a left turn.

“Beginning of what?”

“Them attempting to get their hands on you,” he states calmly, taking an exit to their right. “They’re testing things. Now that they’ve learned you have a bodyguard, they’ll change their tactics.” Junho holds tightly onto the seat in front of him. He’s talking like he’s so sure of it.

“Bullshit.”

“It’s funny how even in this situation, you’re still in denial.” Minjun smirks and jumps between lanes sporadically, no tension on his face. They take another exit, and after a while, the bodyguard declares, “We’ve lost them.”

Junho looks back and doesn’t see the pursuers anymore. “Maybe they just went where they had to go, weren’t pursuers at all.” Minjun shakes his head, disagreeing.

When they reach the gate of Junho’s house, the changes are obvious: surveillance cameras and a couple of guards inside the walls.

“Are you going to tell father about the car?” he asks Minjun once outside the car. He sees a phone in the bodyguard’s hand.

“Yes. Why?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t.” There’s a dubious expression on Minjun’s face.

“You really just can’t accept what’s happening, can you?” Junho looks away nonchalantly and Minjun sighs, seemingly done with the master of denial. “Doesn’t matter, I’m here to make sure you’re alive and kicking.”

“Wow, so chivalrous.” Junho sneers and they stare at each other for a couple of seconds.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Lee,” Minjun says and starts walking away, pressing the phone against his right ear.

“Might as well call me Junho since you’re basically up my ass,” he yells and Minjun turns around, a smirk on his face.

“Haven’t reached that far yet, but okay, _Junho_.” The way he says his name is deliberately intense, the tone of his voice low and dark, clearly meant to taunt his client. Then, Minjun’s demeanour suddenly changes into a serious one as the older Mr. Lee answers the call.

“Fucker,” Junho mumbles and leaves the yard, happy to finally be free of Minjun.

He walks into the two-story house, light yellow on the outside, white walls on the inside. Junho kicks off his shoes and turns right towards the kitchen, going straight for the refrigerator. His thoughts were so preoccupied today that he forgot to eat, and now that he feels somewhat at ease, his stomach starts rumbling. Junho grabs a plate and a few pieces of leftover pizza, one piece already in his mouth. 

He passes the living room on his left and walks up the stairs to his office, which separates his own bedroom and guest bedroom. He usually spends some time in his gym on the first floor when he’s back from work, but he just has no energy to bother tonight.

Junho flops onto the comfortable chair and turns on the computer. Leftover pizza tastes so damn great, especially when he’s starving, so Junho devours it in no time, clicking through some folders. Then, his eyes focus on a certain folder.

_Mom_

He sighs, opening the directory to find one video file in it, so precious to his heart. He doesn’t watch that video often, but today feels like the right time. Watching it always gives him a bittersweet feeling because it’s the only recording he has of her. It wasn’t even meant for his eyes to see, but as a curious teenager, he found an old tape hidden in the attic; when he watched it, his whole world changed. He suddenly understood why his father was so strict with him and never showed love: he lost the love of his life and a huge part of him died. Junho couldn’t help but feel guilty, so he put up with his father’s cold behaviour because he was supposed to be the miracle child.

_“Oh, touch it!” A long-haired woman with a floral dress is smiling up at the camera while sitting on the sofa._

_“Is he kicking again?” His father’s cheerful voice emerges somewhere from behind the camera._

_“Yes!” Junho’s mom grabs his dad’s hand and he sits down beside her, placing the camera on the table so both of them would be in the shot. “I think he’s going to be an athlete! I’m so happy, honey.” His father touches her cheek with the other hand, so gently and carefully as if she were made of glass._

Junho bites on his lower lip, witnessing such an intimate moment. His father was a completely different person 27 years ago.

_“We’re so lucky,” he says. She kisses him on the lips, then pulls back and places her hand on top of her husband’s, which is resting on her huge belly. “Our miracle child.” He smiles gently, and they stay quiet for a few more moments._

_“He’s not even born yet, but I love him so much already. Only a few weeks left till the big day.” She then glances at the camera. “Why did you bring this?”_

_“I want to document the moment we choose a name for him.”_

_“Ah! That’s a great idea!” she beams. “Do you have anything in mind?”_

_“I’m not really that creative…” She slaps his arm playfully. “You’re the creative one. You pick the name.”_

_She thinks briefly before a radiant smile flashes on her face. “Oh. I know! I think Junho sounds cute, doesn’t it? I have a feeling he’ll be a very talented boy. Because God gave him to us, he’s a gift from heaven. What do you think?”_

_“I think it’s a wonderful name.” He pecks her on the cheek, his gaze so warm._

_Suddenly, she grabs the camera and tries to film her own face, only managing to fit her eyes, nose and lips in the frame. “I love you, Junho!” she says, her eye-smile so adorable and sincere._

Then, the video ends.

Junho slumps in the chair, as always, slightly confused about the feelings inside him. He knows he’s the spitting image of his mother. Not only that, he seems to be creative just like her because she used to be a painter and he works in a field of innovations. Just how hard is it for his father to look at him? Junho has a feeling, but he could never put himself in his shoes.

He was supposedly a miracle child since his mother was told she’d never conceive, so when she got pregnant, she was already 33 years old. It was a rather late pregnancy and she had some problems while carrying him, but no one expected the birth would actually take her life. She lost a lot of blood, and then there was septic shock. She was gone in just a few hours. His father told him this story only once when he was old enough, and they never talked about it again.

Junho swore to always be respectful to his father because that’s the least he could do to honour his mom. He had to accept the way the old man tried to protect him, because Junho was a piece of her and he was still alive. He knew that much, but it also felt very restraining and Junho was not always able to live up to his commitment.

He doesn’t know how long his compliance will last, but he will try his best to act according to his father’s wishes. After all, Junho is a piece of him, too.


	2. An Algorithm

In his half-awake state, Junho hears faint footsteps echoing from the staircase. Not loud enough to wake him up completely because his mind is still in a dreamy haze, but when the door to his bedroom opens, his upper body jolts into a sitting position, eyes blinking rapidly. Junho takes a moment to load his brain and soon recalls that the figure standing in the doorway is indeed his own personal bodyguard. The things that happened yesterday were not a figment of his imagination.

He notices Minjun’s narrowed eyes, analysing Junho and his bed. Then, he remembers last night.

"I hope you used protection." Minjun's snarky comment is accompanied by a smirk.

Junho looks to his left, where a male body is resting, then turns to the right, where a female body is starting to stir. Right, he wanted to let off some steam yesterday, so he called his trusty fuck buddies. He glares at Minjun.

"Shouldn't you knock at least?" Junho croaks.

"Just thought I'd give you a quick heads up before your father's arrival. It seems like I made the right choice." Junho exhales. Damn, that really was a thoughtful move on the bodyguard’s part. His father wouldn't be too thrilled to witness something like this, and having Minjun barge in is better than the old man.

"Shit. When is he going to be here?" Junho runs a hand through his messy, light-caramel–coloured hair.

"In 10 minutes." Junho's back straightens like he was whip-lashed; he needs to get ready immediately.

"Okay, you two need to leave, like, right now." He lightly slaps their thighs, rushing them out of the comfortable sheets.

"Really?" the dark haired male whines, sitting up.

"Yes, Kwon." Junho jumps out of the bed, wearing grey boxer briefs, and grabs a black silk robe decorated with geometrical patterns, sliding it over his bare shoulders. The pair behind him dresses quickly as Junho walks over to Minjun, white carpet soft under his feet. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"No." Minjun eyes the guy and the girl making their way towards them.

"Is this your bodyguard?" Kwon pokes Minjun's shoulder, but the latter doesn't seem to be disturbed by it because his gaze is directed somewhere behind the guy.

"Yes." Junho grins, sensing Kwon’s not so pure intentions. Junho invites the pair occasionally when he feels like having adult-style fun. Being bisexual definitely broadens his choices in that area, so having Kwon and Anna, whom he met during a rich-kid party back in the wild university days, proved to be a rather resourceful connection. When Junho’s up for a quality threesome, he knows these two will most likely agree to it, and that’s what happened yesterday. So much irritation and stress pent up inside him, he had to take certain measures to make himself forget all about it. Sex was better than alcohol.

"Well, sugar, you can guard my body anytime." Kwon bites on his lower lip, leaning closer. Minjun still shows no interest, but his eyes find Junho's and now the engineer cannot resist the temptation to tease him more.

"Maybe he'd prefer Anna," Junho says, his gaze still locked on Minjun's face, waiting for the bodyguard’s reaction. The girl is very pretty: long blonde hair, petite body with all the right plump parts, mixed ethnicity elevating her unique beauty – no sane man would refuse her.

"Five minutes," Minjun declares coldly and gets the desired effect, forcing a frown on Junho's face, the impending arrival of his father wiping the playfully sinister smile off his face.

"Just leave." Junho waves his arm dismissively and his high-end fuck buddies are gone. "Tell my father I'll be downstairs soon." Minjun nods and turns on his heel, but then Junho's hand catches him a little above the elbow. The bodyguard's muscles feel stiff under his touch and, even if Minjun's face isn't showing it, that sudden movement must have startled him.

"And knock next time, for fuck's sake." Minjun's bicep relaxes a little.

"As you wish." His compliant answer is somewhat disappointing and Junho releases him. He thought Minjun would at least try to have the final word with a sarcastic reply, but he was... simply respectful. Junho sighs and hurries to the shower. No time to dwell on this.

+

He runs downstairs and finds his father in the living room, sitting on a deep blue sofa facing the wall with a huge TV hung on it and the entrance to the hallway where Junho just entered the room. There’s a white marble fireplace on the left side of the room and a glass wall with sliding doors to the terrace on the right. The prosecutor’s face looks serene, an unusual sight for a person who's usually tense. Does knowing this is a highly secured place make him feel a little less stressed? If so, Junho can only feel happy about that. He smiles.

"Hey, I overslept a little, sorry. Do you want anything to drink?" Junho stands before him, praying his apology is enough this time.

"My throat feels a little dry, maybe some water." Junho sighs in relief and hurries to the kitchen, pouring two glasses of sparkling water. He returns to the living room and gives one glass to the old man. He never really paid attention to his aging face, but Junho can see the remnants of various experiences and stress through the wrinkles on his forehead and around the eyes. Nevertheless, he looked good for his age, considering he was 61 years old. Junho walks over to the window-door leading to the terrace. He can see the convoy in the yard: four cars in total, one of them the Range Rover Sentinel that was supposed to protect him from bullets or any other type of unexpected assault.

"How was your day, yesterday?" his father asks. Junho smiles bitterly.

"I think you know." He tries to sound as gentle as possible, having no desire to trigger his dad's negative emotions or look ungrateful.

"Is it really that bad, having a bodyguard?"

"Depends..." Junho takes a sip, leaning on the window.

"Mr. Kim told me about the car that followed you. He also told me you were unhappy with me having two bodyguards while you have only one. Are you under the impression that I care less about you than about myself?" Junho's casual smile drops and he looks away. He doesn't think that, but... It's weird, he doesn’t get it.

"I don't know what to think, to be honest." He shrugs.

"Well, let me tell you something, son." Mr. Lee puts the glass down and leans back comfortably, turning a little to the right to have a better look at his offspring. "I knew you wouldn't be happy about this to begin with, so I told the company to give me their best man, the one who'd fight his way through a tough situation with no one's help. A man who'd be so skilled in his art that he would be able to handle things all by himself." The left corner of his lips turns up. "That man is your current bodyguard." The old man sighs. "So, it's not that I care about you less, it's that I care about you so much I gave you the best man on the team so you wouldn't have to be followed around by two or more." He lets that thought settle in Junho’s mind, which it clearly does.

Junho swallows hard. His father was never really a man to express his feelings; hell, he has never heard him say _‘I love you’_ , but this was something akin to that tender declaration. His breathing is uneven, realising what the prosecutor's choice meant. He was thinking about Junho and his feelings, he was thinking about how he wouldn't like his freedom being taken away; he knew Junho in ways the son never knew his father did. The old man's cold demeanour fooled him, and it made him feel like a complete idiot for even daring to think he never really cared about Junho, that his father was still so preoccupied with an almost three-decade long mourning that his son was just a hassle he had to deal with in honour of the woman he loved. 

Partially blaming himself for being the reason behind the demise of his mother, Junho was living in a land of distorted mirrors, and he yet was the one that made them that way because he never could really see things from his father's perspective. Perhaps his father was just simply bad at expressing something like love, not receiving the feeling himself for so long. He has been single ever since the death of his wife and Junho has never seen him bring another woman to their house. He must have been so damn lonely.

Junho feels his eyes water, the sentiment catching him off guard. He sniffles and wipes his eyes, before more of the liquid wells up, trying to contain everything inside him. He feels like it's the right time to make a confession of his own.

"I saw the video... where you and mom picked my name." He glances at this father, who's seemingly shaken by that statement, his breathing unsteady, but he doesn't seem to be angry. Junho continues, "I wish I could be as positive as her. I still don't like this situation I'm in, but I think she would want me to be safe, too. So, thank you for being considerate and assigning me only one bodyguard." His father nods, a sombre smile on his face, probably reliving old precious memories.

"I guess the negative character traits came from my part of the DNA." Junho snorts at the reply, catching the prosecutor's solemn mood. He glances away and sees Minjun outside by the vehicle, staring at him with a thoughtful expression. That short visual exchange makes Junho feel somewhat embarrassed, so he returns his attention to the old man.

"He's actually a co-owner of the security company I hired," the prosecutor says as he stands up.

"Who?"

"Your bodyguard." He stands beside Junho and nods at Minjun, the latter mirroring the move then turning away to talk to the guard approaching him. So, all of these guys are Minjun’s employees.

"Seriously? Shouldn't he be sitting behind the desk as a co-owner?"  _And avoiding clients like me_ is what he doesn't say, perfectly aware he might be a dick sometimes, but for some reason Minjun is able to draw out that behaviour more than anyone else. So, by default, it’s Minjun’s own fault. 

"He prefers being active, said office work was never for him. He manages guard training at his company, too. You're in good hands."

"Uh-huh." Junho still can't get rid of the initial hostility, even with his dad's praise for the man.

"I'm leaving the country for a couple of days, just wanted to talk to you before I go." Junho looks at him, realising their conversations have never been this honest and, by their own odd standard, mushy. It's like his father thinks he might not see another day and... Junho gulps. No, he shouldn’t think about it. The intrusive thought is pushed away immediately.

"Have a safe trip," he says and the prosecutor nods.

"And you be safe."

"I will." His father squeezes Junho's shoulder briefly and leaves.

Junho eats his breakfast quickly, checks himself in the mirror, admiring the dark green sweater he got a few days ago, and puts on a grey wool coat, the hem reaching a little above his knees. Black jeans and grey shoes finish off the neat ensemble.

When he exits the house, he cocks his eyebrow, noticing another car behind the SUV. Two people are sitting in the front of what looks like a silver Hyundai i40 sedan. He had assumed this car belonged to his father’s convoy.

"What's that?" he asks Minjun, stopping to the bodyguard's left.

"Additional security measures after what happened yesterday." He notices Junho's sceptical look and smiles. "You won't even notice them. They'll be orbiting us like the Moon orbits the Earth."

"Suddenly you're a poet." Minjun snorts at the remark. "So what, they'll be creeping in the shadows, watching from afar?"

"Pretty much. Just to observe the movement around us. Think you can deal with that?"

"Yeah." Junho tilts his head, taking in Minjun's astonished expression.

"Wow, I was expecting more animosity. It seems like getting laid did wonders for you." 

"One of these days, I _will_ choke you." Junho snaps back and Minjun turns to him.

"Don’t make promises you can’t keep." Minjun gives him one of those ambiguous stares and walks away, leaving Junho contemplating ways to harm someone without killing them.

+

It's been a couple of days since Junho's freedom has been taken away from him. The routine is always the same: Minjun comes in the morning, drives Junho to the office where they usually stay all day with some exceptions, such as work or personal errands, and then they go back home. As Minjun suggested before, Junho doesn't even notice the Hyundai checking in on their surroundings from afar. So, the only person Junho has to deal with is Minjun. 

Junho doesn't really get him, because despite the daily banter between them, Minjun doesn't reveal anything about himself (not that Junho asks anything in particular, but he's getting curious about a thing or two). For the most part, Minjun is respectful and diplomatic, but when he senses Junho's hostility or mischievousness, he plays along. In that aspect, Junho thinks of him as a chameleon: the bodyguard adapts to whatever is happening around him, and perhaps that's something to admire, but it also keeps Junho from figuring the man out. By now, Junho has learned that his own petulant behaviour will result in Minjun not holding back with his snarky replies, though even then, he wouldn't overstep the fine line between witty comebacks and ill-intentioned insults. Minjun knew how to slither around those well.

With the bodyguard behind him, Junho exits the underground parking lot and walks up the stairs to his office building, yawning. He overslept again, this time the dead battery of his phone to blame. However, Junho doesn't fuss over it, since he's the boss and no one can reprimand him anyway. Minjun took Junho's previous request into consideration and was decent enough to knock this morning to wake him up, so Junho wasn't too angry about it.

"Finally!" Nichkhun stops them in the hallway, "Where were you?" Junho raises his eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I was calling you, but it went straight to voice mail. I was worried something had happened." Nichkhun looks stressed, his round eyes jumping from Junho's face to Minjun behind him.

"Oh," Junho pulls out his dead phone. “The battery's dead, haven’t had a chance to charge it yet." He smiles reassuringly, aware that his assistant has a vivid imagination, and him knowing the reason behind Junho having a bodyguard probably triples that power and leads Nichkhun to overthink things.

"Did you forget about the event?"

"What event?" Junho tries to remember, but lately his head has been full of thoughts about new projects and, of course, the security situation. Nichkhun exhales heavily.

"Yonsei University. Introducing Alectrona. Does that ring any bells?" Nichkhun crosses his arms over his chest, eyeing Junho warily.

"Shit." Junho remembers. How could he forget? "When does it start?"

"In an hour." The assistant relaxes slightly now that Junho finally knows what he's talking about.

"Please tell me you charged the robot." Junho touches Nichkhun's shoulder, hoping for a positive answer.

"I did." A satisfied smile plastered across the assistant's face. Junho sighs, lowering his head, still holding onto Nichkhun's shoulder.

"You're a life saver, Khun, please remind me to give you a bonus this month." Junho straightens his back.

"Your life saver is behind you, but I appreciate it. I'll remind you, don't worry." He winks, Junho rolling eyes at him. "It's in the storage room, haven't put it in the box yet."

"Okay, thanks." 

Junho walks quickly to the storage room and finds the robot on the shelf.

"What does it do?" Minjun's sonorous voice makes Junho turn around, the robot in his hands. The bodyguard comes closer to get a better look at the thing, which resembles a very cute sun. Junho feels proud of his creation and now more so that it piques Minjun's interest because he rarely shows interest in anything other than security.

"It's Alectrona." Junho glances at the robot fondly. "Named after the Greek solar goddess. I created her to help children with special needs. She's a social robot with a variety of single and multiplayer games to help develop motor and intellectual skills. She moves, plays sounds and music, shows emotions, and speaks, lights up and vibrates. Basically, she's designed to help children with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, or multiple disabilities." Junho looks up at Minjun and it appears like the bodyguard's eyes are softer, as if he's looking at Junho with a new-found respect. "Why are you looking at me like this?" Minjun’s eyebrows furrow questioningly.

"Like what?"

"Like you've just found out I have a heart." Minjun chuckles, touching the robot with his slim fingers.

"Maybe I have." He pulls back his arm.

"Seems like you really think I'm a terrible person." Junho's eyes focus on Minjun's, the latter seemingly deep in thought.

"I don't think you're a terrible person. A petulant brat at times, yes, but not a legitimately evil person. It's just you never show me this side of your personality, so I was surprised."

"That's a very weird and borderline insolent compliment and I'm not sure I like it, but I'll take it." His palms feel sweaty against Alectrona's sleek surface and Minjun's gentle smile is strangely calming; that's new.

"You can always choose to be a little less petulant." His trademark smirk is back and Junho rolls his eyes.

"Just get me the damn box." Junho nods at the square object on the bottom shelf, and Minjun squats to pick it up. "Open the lid." Junho nestles Alectrona between layers of padding and the reinforced plastic, securing the entire thing. He checks the luxurious silver watch on his left wrist and curses, seeing they might be late if they don't hurry. Junho snatches the box from Minjun and moves past him hastily, almost running towards the staircase to the parking lot.

His mind is buzzing with random thoughts, mostly about being late to the event he was so excited to be invited to and yet forgot, but a fraction of those thoughts consist of the look Minjun gave him right after introducing Alectrona. He felt like Minjun showed something that he'd rather Junho had not seen, and being found out had him wavering a little as to how to play this off. Or maybe Junho was just overthinking, as always.

Junho runs downstairs, and while he’s having an internal monologue, his foot misses a step. There's that terrifying moment of realisation he's in the air with no support, about to face-plant down a long row of concrete stairs and probably fuck up his face forever if he survives the fall at all. The box slips from his hands as his body simultaneously gets jerked back with a huge force, his back pressing against something warm and firm instead of the cold, sharp stairs beneath.

Junho's heart is slamming against his rib cage, threatening to break the bones. His mind finally registers the position he's in: an arm is wrapped around his waist, the other arm right above the violently beating heart, securely cocooning him in the bodyguard's tight embrace. His back pressed to Minjun's front, both of them sitting on the cold concrete with Junho panting nervously. Minjun's hand slides horizontally across Junho's chest, his palm stopping right above the raging heart. If anything, Junho feels like the heartbeat is even worse.

"I got you." Minjun's low voice is right behind Junho's left ear, the sound of it forcing goosebumps to appear all over his neck. Junho breaks away from the constricting embrace and walks down the stairs without looking at Minjun, still feeling a little shaken, but also content because he won't need multiple reconstructive plastic surgeries anytime soon. Junho picks up the reinforced box, which seems to be intact, and exhales in relief. "How is it?" He glances at Minjun, his expression quite dull considering the chilling incident that happened seconds ago.

"Seems fine. The box is very sturdy." Minjun nods and opens the door for Junho, the latter doing his best to keep his breathing steady. "How's your back? Must have hit some sharp edges." Junho inquires while they hurry towards the car, placing the box in the trunk. He didn't miss the frown on Minjun's face when he touched his back earlier: the man was a support pillow for Junho.

"I'll live," he says, a reassuring half-smile appearing promptly. Now Junho feels guilty for being so hasty. As the car moves from its place, a question plagues Junho, not being able to comprehend the choice behind throwing yourself in harm’s way for someone else. Sure, it pays great money, being a bodyguard, but it's not worth it when there’s a very plausible probability you could become crippled or worse, die.

"Why did you decide to become a bodyguard?" he finally asks, and Minjun glances at him through the rear-view mirror.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because it’s a shit job. Just answer the goddamn question," Junho barks impatiently.

"No, I want to know why you think it's such a bad job." Minjun doesn’t sound insulted, although he seems genuinely interested in Junho’s answer.

"Why? Really? Literally, you can die protecting someone else. Is the money really worth it?"

"You think I do it solely for the money?" Minjun snorts.

"Why else?" Junho is getting even more confused.

"I'm not greedy, if that's what you're thinking." Minjun chuckles.

"You're a co-owner of the company; you don't have to put your life on the line. Why not let the trained employees do the dirty stuff for you?" Junho leans forward, his eyes boring into the bodyguard’s profile.

"Do you also let your employees do everything for you?" Minjun raises a good question, baffling Junho a bit.

"No." It's suddenly starting to make sense. "I prefer doing the hardest tasks myself."

"And you don't do it solely for the money, do you?"

"Hey, this isn't about me." Junho remembers his primary question, sick of Minjun’s attempts to avoid an honest answer.

"But you get my point." Minjun still deflects.

"It's different. My job doesn't require me risking my life for someone else. Why are you so evasive about this?!" Junho raises his voice to make a point. 

This is probably the first time Minjun doesn't have a quick answer, as seconds pass by and he keeps quiet, hands tight on the steering wheel. Junho becomes fully aware he just found a sore spot, but it doesn’t make him feel power over the knowledge. It just makes Minjun look…human. Vulnerable.

"It's personal," he declares eventually, drawing a clear line.

"Now, that makes me even more curious."

"Unless you're about to inject me with truth serum, I'm not revealing anything of my own free will." Minjun gives the ultimate _I’m-done_ glance through the mirror.

"Fine," Junho scoffs and flops back, arms crossed tight on his chest.

"Fine." Minjun’s voice sounds calm, although Junho _knows_ it’s just a front.

Nevertheless, Junho feels slightly hurt he's not privy to the real reason behind the bodyguard’s choice. He must trust Minjun with his life, but Minjun doesn't trust him enough to... _It's not that odd, honestly,_ Junho tries to reason with himself. 

They're not friends. Junho is a client, not someone Minjun should confide in. And yet, it irritates the engineer. Everything about this fucking bodyguard is infuriating: the way he stares at him, the way he teases him, the way he's so damn private, and the way he’s capable of doing his job so well and shows no exhaustion. His presence is everywhere, like swirling poisonous dust, infecting every part of Junho's life. 

Nichkhun once told Junho that him being so curious can be a blessing and a curse. Junho’s curious nature made him question everything, naturally leading to becoming an inventor. Curious to see how people or gadgets work – their behavioural patterns, algorithms, equations, codes – and using that knowledge to create something that would make an impact not only on his, but others’ lives, too. The problem was, Junho could sometimes get carried away, getting obsessed with ideas and overworking as a result.

Minjun was another riddle, a code Junho didn't intend to take on originally because he didn't think there was anything to pique his interest. But the more he looked at Minjun, the more Junho sensed there was hidden potential in his algorithm, and one day, he'd put it all together so he could put his own chaotic mind at ease. He'll follow the shadow behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you feel the tension growing? hehe  
> How did you like this chapter? Let me know 8)


	3. A Meteorite Shower

Junho takes another sip of hot cocoa, reading the news headlines on his tablet while comfortably sitting on a kitchen stool. There’s nothing interesting on a Saturday morning; the articles mostly contain celebrity gossip and photos of people partying from the night before. Junho had his own share of parties during university days when networking and making connections was an important yet energy-draining task, so he can relate to some extent. However, he’s not a part of that world anymore, and he scrolls through the website absent-mindedly.

After a while, Junho hears the thud of the front door coming from the main entrance, knowing perfectly well who’s going to appear from around the corner. His cup stays frozen near his lips when a sporty looking man stops in the doorway. 

Minjun always wears dark suits, but not today. It’s been a couple of weeks since they were introduced to each other and the bodyguard’s wardrobe never varied. However, today’s change was initiated by none other than the engineer himself, who specifically told the bodyguard to get ready for a long run in the forest. Even if Minjun was told to ditch the formal wear, he stayed loyal to the colour black: he had on a baseball cap put backwards on his head, a zip-up hoodie, a pair of slim sweatpants, and a pair of running shoes. Junho had to admit the outfit gave him a certain swagger.

“Who are you and what did you do to my bodyguard?” Junho lowers the cup, his eyes settling on Minjun’s bemused face.

“Do I really look that different?” The bodyguard asks with a drop of uncertainty in his voice, walking closer to the tall kitchen isle.

“If you think suits and sports outfits make a person look the same, you need to look in the mirror more often.” Junho downs the drink, withstanding Minjun’s ambiguous gaze.

“It’s just an outfit, who cares?” He leans forwards on his forearms.

“I’m just saying it’s an interesting change, that’s all.” Junho shrugs and jumps off the stool. He walks over to Minjun, the latter turning to face him. “You look less threatening.” Junho grins.

“That makes me want to go back to my suits.”

“You can, but I doubt it’d be comfortable to run in one.” Junho slips his hands in his pockets, also wearing sporty attire, though a couple of shades lighter and with more vivid accents. “Honestly, I don’t care what you wear. Unlike my dad, I hate formal wear, so although he might want his bodyguards to look all proper, I don’t give a shit about my bodyguard’s appearance.” Junho leans forward a little. “Except Crocs, hate that hideous shit.”

“I’ll make sure to buy those, just for you.” Minjun smirks, forcing an exasperated sigh out of Junho.

“Is that a gun holster?” Junho focuses on the protruding object beneath the soft material, right below Minjun’s rib-cage. When he wears a suit, it’s not that visible, but Minjun’s hoodie is well-fitted, so Junho can see the outline.

“Yeah.”

“And it’s comfortable to run with that?” Junho can’t imagine having a handgun hanging by your ribs; even with the safety on, he’d be afraid of a freak accident where he’d shoot himself in the leg or someplace worse.

“It’s nothing compared with the stuff I had to carry when I was a soldier.” Minjun rubs the back of his neck, remembering the items he had on him back in the military days.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, you’re cool.” Junho turns on his heel, Minjun follows right behind.

“Well, you asked me.” The engineer snorts, having no better comeback to that as he sits on top of the shoe bench and puts on a pair of grey running shoes decorated with lime-green and blue stripes. 

“That reminds me, you still haven’t told me the reason you became a bodyguard.” Junho stands up, seeing a hint of annoyance flash past the bodyguard’s dark eyes.

“Have you invented the truth serum yet?”

“No.”

“Then you can forget about that question.” Minjun strolls out of the building, ignoring Junho’s intense gaze. Still no luck, but Junho’s not one to give up so easily; he will have the answer someday.

+

The SUV turns onto a rather secluded road surrounded by pine trees. It’s still a relatively early spring; nature’s not in full bloom yet, but this forest of evergreens always looks alive. The sky is overcast, but the green of the trees makes for a great balance between the gloomy weather and the forest. 

Junho usually picks a park nearby, but truthfully, he enjoys running here more, especially when he spends so much time behind a desk, and exercising on the treadmill becomes too monotonous. During occasional episodes of boredom like today, he prefers an early morning solo run in the forest. He will have Minjun following him today, but circumstances are different, leaving him no choice but to accept the unwanted company.

The car stops in the parking lot, right in front of the narrow trail leading deeper into the woods. Junho closes the door and notices the silver Hyundai stop right behind them; he gives a questioning glance to his bodyguard.

“Don’t tell me they’re going to join us.”

“No.” Minjun smiles reassuringly. “They’ll make sure no one else follows us. I checked the area beforehand and it’s really the only easy way to enter the forest, so I’m pretty sure it’s safe. Unless the enemy decides to use a helicopter,” he adds jokingly.

“Fine.” Junho sighs and stretches for a few minutes, preparing his muscles for the long exercise. “You think you can beat me?” he asks daringly, eyeing Minjun who’s also stretching nearby.

“I didn’t know this was a competition.” Minjun straightens his back, not too impressed by the impish smile Junho wears.

“It’s not, but I hope you won’t slow me down.” Junho is pretty confident in his running skills; the treadmill is a witness to his increasing leg strength and stamina.

“Slow you down?” Minjun scoffs and walks past Junho. “Try and keep up with me, amateur.” Minjun delivers the verbal jab with a smoky tone.

Junho gapes like a fish for a couple of seconds, then he walks quickly to catch up with the bodyguard. “Yah, we will see who’s going to eat dirt and it’s not going be me, you arrogant slug.” He starts running, a determined grin plastered across his face as Minjun snorts behind him. He will so win this race.

+

“Fuck. Stop.” Junho bends over, hands on his hips as he tries to catch his breath. He so lost this race.

“I’d gloat, but that’d be like beating an already unconscious man.” Even though he is staring at the bodyguard’s charcoal sneakers before him, Junho can swear Minjun is grinning. This man can run and Junho’s no match. He should’ve known. But he was too damn stubborn and challenged the only capable man he shouldn’t have. Junho thought Minjun’s physical training included only martial arts and guns – he didn’t know the bodyguard had the stamina of a fucking horse.

“Why do you always have to be so damn good at everything?” Junho exhales and straightens his back. Yup, the vexing grin is right before him. “Please tell me you suck at something. I need to know.”

“Well, I suck at arts and crafts.” Minjun chuckles, revealing his silly weakness. Junho latches on to the idea.

“We’re going to arts and crafts next weekend.” 

“I’ll wear Crocs then,” the bodyguard threatens.

“Fuck no.” 

Minjun laughs heartily as Junho places his left hand on a pine trunk and leans slightly, crossing his feet. The sonorous sound makes Junho smile involuntarily, sort of proud he’s capable of forcing a laugh from this man. Apart from shit-eating grins, Minjun doesn’t laugh that much, or not so openly, that is. “What else are you bad at?”

“I’m not going to reveal all of my weaknesses to you. What kind of bodyguard would do that?”

“Spiders? Heights?” Junho ignores Minjun’s amused look.

“Nope.”

“Crowds? Darkness?” Minjun shakes his head.

“You can stop guessing.”

Before Junho can continue with the interrogation, a twig snaps nearby, interrupting the playful mood. Minjun’s demeanour changes instantly, moving over to Junho quickly, unzipping his hoodie and pulling out a gun.

They listen. 

It’s quiet, only a light breeze swirls around the trees, and Junho would be relaxed if not for Minjun’s composed expression as he scans the area with a gun in his right hand. Junho is about to say something when Minjun lifts his arm and stops him from speaking. The bodyguard then nods his head to their right and Junho sees them.

Their grey fur looks dirty and they seem to be suffering from malnutrition; nonetheless, four big wolves slowly surround Junho and Minjun. Junho notices a thick fallen tree branch near his feet, so he slowly picks it up, his fingers wrapping around the hard wood. It’s a crappy weapon, but it’s better than empty hands.

“I hope you have enough bullets,” he says as Minjun takes a step back, shielding Junho from what’s about to happen. If Junho’s calculations on distance are correct, it’d take only a few seconds for the wolves to jump them.

“I do, but I can’t spray them all at once with a handgun. I’ll have to be quick.” An uneasy feeling spreads in Junho’s stomach.

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.” He breathes nervously, his eyes jumping from one wolf to another as they circle with an intent to kill.

“I’ll get them all, don’t worry.” Minjun sounds confident, although Junho still has some doubts. At the same time, he hates feeling vulnerable. If brute force is needed, Junho will hit those animals with all he’s got. “Timing is everything,” Minjun adds.

Junho doesn’t notice which one moves first, but Minjun’s gun goes off and two dead animals drop not too far away from them. Then, his eyes follow a third animal that comes way too close for comfort, but Junho has no time to marvel as Minjun manages to shoot the third one in the leg. It still tries to go at them, but Junho has had enough, so he lunges forward and hits the injured animal’s head with such force the thick branch splits in half, rendering the wolf unconscious, or maybe dead.

“Got you, a piece of–” Junho is suddenly pushed, falling on his ass awkwardly. The scene that unravels before him seems to be frozen in time: out of nowhere, the fourth wolf leaps right above Minjun and the latter has no time to run or do anything but shoot straight ahead, hoping he hits the right spot. Junho’s breathing stops when the wild animal lands on top of Minjun, forcing the bodyguard to fall backwards.

No one’s moving. Junho’s eyes are wide like wells, glued to the still animal and Minjun buried beneath a thick layer of dirty and bloody fur.

“Goddamn it.” Junho hears a familiar but muffled voice and jumps on his feet to help remove the dead animal, but Minjun rolls it off his body before Junho can do so.

Minjun half sits–half lies, leaning back on his forearms, the gun still in his hands. His white shirt is soaked in blood and Junho panics slightly.

“Please tell me it’s not your blood.” He kneels beside the bodyguard, hands hovering above the latter’s body, afraid to touch him in case he’s hurt.

“Next time you try and pull a stunt with a fucking piece of rotten wood, make sure there’s no one behind you.” Minjun looks irritated and rightfully so, because Junho understands his reckless actions could’ve cost at least an arm for one of them. In addition, it’s not only Minjun’s t-shirt that is soaked in blood – it’s all over his hoodie and sweatpants as well.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Junho croaks and Minjun exhales, seemingly trying to regain his composure. Junho’s recklessness actually made the usually reserved bodyguard curse.

“It’s okay.” He stands up, looking at his ruined outfit. “We’ll just have to run back 15 kilometres with me covered in wolf blood.”

“Do you think the Serpent sent the wolves?” It takes a moment for Minjun to register the joke, and he shakes his head at the very guilty-looking Junho.

“Hilarious. I’m going to make a call to an acquaintance in the wildlife welfare office; the wolves need to be disposed of properly.” Minjun fishes the phone out of the pocket and paces around the dead animals, explaining the situation to someone on the other end of the line.

Junho squats, analysing the wolf up close. He knows wolves usually avoid people, but these ones must’ve been starving and the pack had no choice but to attack the humans to survive. They look magnificent from up close, it’s a shame they had to go like this. Junho frowns.

“Nature is cruel.” Minjun’s voice makes him snap out of his thoughts.

“I think humans are crueller.”

“Can’t disagree with that one.” Junho looks up at Minjun, the latter’s expression somewhat solemn, but it changes quickly upon Junho’s inspecting gaze. “Come on, we have a long way to reach the car. The wolves will be taken care of.”

+

When they reach Junho’s house, Minjun grabs a bag from the SUV and heads inside. His stained clothes earn questioning glances from the guards. It must look crazy, seeing their boss covered in blood yet completely unfazed by it. Because he’s so calm about it, the guards don’t pester him.

“You can use the bathroom in the guest room,” Junho says when they enter the building. “It has towels and toiletries for the shower.”

“Got it.” They walk up the stairs and Junho turns left while Minjun takes the right, going off their separate ways to wash their bodies and change. Junho has a feeling Minjun will take longer because that dried blood must be hard to get off. The stench alone was becoming more and more insufferable as they ran back to the SUV, and even worse when they drove back here.

Now that the adrenaline is gone, Junho is quite self-conscious about his own idiotic stunt. All he had to do was be the goddamn client and stay behind Minjun, but no, he had to jump into the action and ruin everything. Junho hates feeling dumb, yet that’s exactly how he feels as he lets the hot water melt the thought into his chaotic brain.

He was impressed, he can’t deny it. Minjun never lost his cool, his movements were precise and calculated. And he would’ve avoided the fourth wolf if not for… Junho groans, staring at his feet on the white and blue shower tiles. He will probably think about this scenario for the next two weeks or so, torturing himself with regret.

Junho dries his body and slips into the black robe, grabbing his phone off the table. There’s a missed text message from Jinwoon, a skydiving instructor he’s been friends with for a couple of years now.

_Hey, the sky cleared up, so we’re not cancelling the skydiving activities. If you still wanna join, text me._

Junho grins.

_Hey, I’ll bring someone with me. See ya._

Junho changes into a comfortable outfit, brewing another mischievous plan.

Junho’s devious expression progressively intensifies as he approaches the guest room, more than ready to deliver the news about dragging Minjun to skydive with him. He has no idea how the bodyguard will react to it, but he has high hopes it will annoy him to some extent. For Junho, it’s not the first time; he’s had many hours in the air, so he’s eager to put Minjun to yet another test. And there won’t be any flying wolves in the sky to ruin it.

Junho barges through the door and stops in his tracks, staring at Minjun staring back at him. His hair is damp and messy, and the lean muscles on his upper body well-toned. His hands are on the pants zipper, about to move upwards.

“I guess knocking is only for peasants,” Minjun says, somewhat amused.

“It’s my home.” Junho maintains eye contact as he walks towards Minjun. The bodyguard’s hands finish zipping up the black dress slacks.

“Ah, you do as you please. I get it.” Minjun smirks and places his hands on his narrow hips. Junho cannot unsee the contrast between Minjun’s wide shoulders and his slim lower body.

“Whatever.” Now that he got closer, Junho notices a scattered scar across the left side of Minjun’s rib-cage. The pattern almost looks like a meteorite shower. He decides to ignore it for now. “We’re going skydiving,” he declares.

“Not enough adrenaline for today?”

“What? Are you afraid?”

“We already went through this; I’m not afraid of heights.” Minjun runs one hand through his damp hair.

“Let me guess: skydiving was a part of your military training.” It seems like everything was a part of military training, and judging from Minjun’s smug grin, the answer is obvious.

“Correct.” Minjun folds his arms over his ribs, covering the scar. It doesn’t look like a deliberate move as there’s nothing shy about his posture. Junho glances at the rest of the formal attire placed on the bed.

“Is it the only outfit you’ve got right now?” Minjun glances back at the bed, then turns back.

“Yeah.”

“It’s not exactly a skydiving outfit.”

“Why? If James Bond can do it, I can, too.” He smiles and Junho snorts at him.

“People at the airbase will judge me if I bring someone in a suit to skydive.”

“I can’t go naked.”

“This is why I’m going to lend you my clothes.”

“Our relationship is progressing so fast.” Minjun’s sarcastic smirk almost makes Junho retract his offer, but if he does, a good opportunity to have some fun will be gone.

“You’re full of shit. Come with me.” Junho turns around and leads the way to his room and a rather large walk-in closet. “We’re about the same size, it should be fine.” Junho kneels in front of one of the many drawers and pulls out a pair of black sweatpants. “Your favourite colour. See if it fits you.” He sniggers as he gives the piece of clothing to Minjun. 

“T-shirt or a tank-top?” Junho takes two steps to the right, glancing at the bodyguard slipping into the sweatpants. Junho wonders when the man finds the time to work out because it must be tiring to do that after a long day of following Junho around.

“A tank-top is fine.” Junho tilts his head, his curiosity getting the better of him once again, so he goes for the question that’s been bugging him since he saw the scar.

“What’s the story behind the scar on your ribs?” Minjun narrows his eyes, looking for something in Junho’s face; he probably doesn’t find what he was looking for because his reply sounds honest.

“There was an explosion during my last mission. I was the unlucky one who got hit by the shards of shrapnel. I had multiple rib fractures, a punctured lung, and almost got my heart, too. Hands down the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.” Junho frowns, his imagination trying to paint the horrible image.

“Is that when you decided to quit the Special Forces?” The bodyguard takes some time before answering and licks his lips, a hint of frustration in his averted gaze.

“Yeah.” Minjun rubs his thumb into the opposite palm.

“I bet the recovery took months.”

“It did.” Minjun exhales, glancing at his feet briefly. Then, his coal-black eyes are back on Junho’s composed face. “Are you going to keep me half-naked all day or what?” Junho smiles as he grabs a white tank-top and throws it at Minjun, who catches it easily.

Junho slides the hangers until a ridiculously bright electric green colour makes him stop and he pulls the obscene jumper into his arms, enjoying Minjun’s disgusted expression. “What about this?”

“I’m a bodyguard, not a traffic cone. I’m not supposed to be visible from outer space.” He sighs and crosses his arms. “I need something dark with a zipper.”

Junho puts the day-glow monstrosity away and digs deeper until he finds a dark blue zip-up hoodie. It has an illustration of a white rose on the left side of the chest. He shows it to Minjun, the latter’s expression revealing he’s not too satisfied with the option. “It’s the only dark and sporty zip-up thing I have. I’m into pullovers.” He explains.

“Fine.” Minjun exhales heavily and takes the hoodie, probably tired of Junho’s impromptu fashion show. “Are we leaving now?”

“Yeah,” Junho confirms as they exit his room.

“I’ll be by the car in a minute.” Junho nods at that and leaves the house. His legs are starting to feel sore and he probably should’ve declined the invitation to skydive, but the weather has cleared up and there’s no telling when he’d be able to do that with so many things consuming his time these days. 

+

The plane is airborne with 15 people inside of it. The door is already open, and everyone is lining up to jump, the excitement on people’s faces brighter than the scattered clouds they pass. Junho and Minjun are the last ones in the queue per the bodyguard’s request. Junho fixes his goggles, leaning closer to Jinwoon to talk before the jump.

“I’m kind of having second thoughts about jumping since this guy brings me bad luck.” He glances at Minjun, the latter throws a judgmental glance back at him. Jinwoon snickers.

“What do you mean bad luck?” Minjun takes a step closer so he wouldn’t need to shout as much.

“First, I fall off the stairs. Second, wolves gang up on us,” Junho explains.

“First, it was your own fault for running like a headless chicken. Second, you dragged us to the forest.”

“He has a point,” Jinwoon agrees, a feeling of betrayal wiping a sly smile off Junho’s face.

“If anything, I bring luck since both times I saved your irresponsible self.” Minjun smirks and Jinwoon laughs at the bodyguard’s response, forcing Junho to punch the instructor’s chest. Jinwoon coughs exaggeratedly.

“If my parachute doesn’t open, it’s on you,” he threatens Minjun, but the latter just keeps on smirking at him.

“Be careful what you wish for, Junho, third time’s a charm.” Minjun actually fucking winks at him and Junho’s brain malfunctions a little. What the hell was that? Jinwoon cannot supress his roaring laugh, squeezing Junho’s shoulder for support. 

“If I were you, I wouldn’t mess with my bodyguard.” Jinwoon wheezes and Junho shakes his hand off his shoulder.

“Thank you.” Minjun nods at Jinwoon and Junho can feel a bond forming between the two. Junho’s so ready to cut it off because he doesn’t need this kind of disrespect from a friend who sides with this cocky idiot only an hour into their newly found friendship.

“Fuck you both,” Junho mumbles, walking towards the exit and jumping out of the plane.

How is this man able to make everyone side with him? Even Khun, apparently, has a sweet spot for the bodyguard, bringing him cookies and whatnot, talking to him while Junho works on projects in his office. It’s like everyone sees something in Minjun that draws them to him. Junho really could use a break from this man, sometimes he’s too much.

With his body soaring through the sunny sky, Junho forgets everything. The free fall is so liberating, and he’s thrilled he actually agreed to this activity today, even if he’s quite tired from the running. For the first time in weeks, his mind feels clear and he remembers why he loves skydiving so much: it really helps to relieve stress.

In his peripheral vision, he can see Minjun and Jinwoon close to him. He wishes the free fall would last longer, but with Jinwoon showing a thumbs-up, he knows it’s time to release the parachute.

His body is jerked up when the parachute is released, feeling the wind soften against his skin. The grass below him is green, signs of spring already in full swing in this area and visible even from this height. A complete contrast from this morning, even a bit surreal. 

So much happened in such a short amount of time, just a few hours. It can be frightening when you have no control over it. Junho doesn’t beat himself over the wolf incident anymore, though. He accepts things as they happen, but he has a feeling it’s different for Minjun. He always seems to be in control of everything; even when he’s exchanging witty remarks with Junho, his eyes are warily checking their surroundings. Minjun’s like a watchdog: capable of showing interest while being completely vigilant and aware of the space and people around them.

Junho’s feet touch the ground and after running a little, he slows down and falls on his back, staring at the sky. He can already feel it will be hard to walk tomorrow morning, his leg muscles are trembling slightly. That gym in his house is totally useless, apparently. Or maybe his technique is wrong. He has to do something about that.

“You okay?” Minjun’s face enters Junho’s vision from above as the bodyguard stands beside him.

“Peachy.” Junho smiles. “You know what? You can take a day off tomorrow.”

Minjun stares suspiciously, studying Junho’s relaxed face. “I think you need to ask your father about that. I can’t take a day off without his knowledge.”

“I’ll call him.”

“And you’re going to stay at home tomorrow?” Junho can feel the distrust in the bodyguard’s voice.

“Yeah. I’m not bullshitting you. I’m not going to run off on my own, and even if I were to, it’d probably be impossible with all the hawk-eyed guards securing my walls.”

“So, the thought has crossed your mind.” Minjun sits down beside Junho, the latter sitting up to look at the bodyguard properly.

“It did, at first. But now I wouldn’t sabotage my father’s choice. I know this means a lot to him. Protecting me, that is.” Junho picks at the grass between his legs. “I’d rather have you by my side than a couple of boring bodyguards who can’t keep up with my genius mind.” Junho grins.

“You won’t die of modesty, that’s for sure.” Minjun smiles back at him and there’s something warm in his gaze, making Junho realise that his last sentence must have sounded like a compliment. In a way, it was.

“Anyway, enjoy the day off, go to a spa or something. Buy new clothes.”

“Yes sir.” Minjun tips an invisible hat, making Junho snort.

Their short silence is soon interrupted by a classic Samsung ringtone echoing from Minjun’s pocket. The bodyguard pulls out the phone and answers while standing up quickly, a deep crease between his eyebrows.

“What happened?” Minjun asks straightforwardly, and Junho has a bad feeling about this call. He stands up as well. “Really? I see.” Silence. “No, it’s better than nothing. Maybe they will get something from it. Okay. Talk to you later.” Minjun hangs up.

“What was that?” Junho inquires impatiently.

“One of your father’s bodyguards. Someone tried to plant a GPS tracker on your father’s car.” Junho’s chest tightens. “Luckily, it didn’t go unnoticed and the guard tried to catch the person with the tracker, but he had an accomplice, so he got away. However, the runaway dropped the device. It might be a good piece of evidence.” Minjun slides the phone back into his pocket. “Everything’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He smiles reassuringly, but Junho still has an unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Should I take you home?”

“Yeah.” Junho nods, itching to call his father. “Hold on, I’m going to call him really quick.” Minjun waits nearby as Junho presses the phone to the right side of his face. It doesn’t take long for the prosecutor to pick up.

“Hello, son.”

“Hey, just heard the news. Is everything all right?” Junho goes straight to the point.

“Yes, no need to worry. If anything, I’d say we have the upper hand. Mr. Kim’s men did well, and we have something that could be very valuable evidence against those evil men.” Junho can imagine the old man’s smile.

“That’s good.” He sighs. “By the way, I want to give Minjun a day off tomorrow since I have no plans to leave the house. Is that okay with you?”

“Are you sure? You rarely stay in even on Sundays.”

“We had quite an eventful day. Minjun will fill you in, I’m sure.” Junho chuckles lightly. “I just want to have all day for myself, you know. I have a very busy week ahead.”

“Fine, give him a day off. God knows that man deserves it.” The prosecutor exhales.

“Is he complaining about me a lot?” Junho grins, staring at Minjun, who most likely can hear everything Junho says.

“He never complains about you, or anything at all.”

“I see.” Junho bites on his lower lip. “Thanks, dad.”

“No problem, have a nice Sunday tomorrow.”

“You too, bye.” Junho hangs up and makes his way towards Minjun. “It’s settled. You have a day off tomorrow.” The bodyguard nods and they leave the field, ready to go home.

As he rests against the back seat of the Range Rover, Junho feels like a baby in a cradle. The sun is about to start setting, his eyelids slowly lower until they close completely. Junho is exhausted after such an eventful day, and spending Sunday lazing around the house seems about right. The upcoming week is going to be packed with various events, so Junho needs to prepare for those. 

In his drifting mind, Junho wonders how Minjun is going to spend his day off. Is he going to exercise? Is he going to do some shopping? Or is he going to stay in bed all day? He probably will block all the work-related things from his consciousness, at least that’s what Junho would do if he were in the bodyguard’s shoes. Being a bodyguard means having no personal life, which must be tough at times. Does Minjun have someone waiting for him at home? Junho has no clue, yet he wants to know. With these thoughts, he doesn’t notice when he actually falls asleep.

Somewhere between reality and vivid dreams, Junho feels soft pressure on his shoulder, pulling him out of the hazy state. His eyes flutter open and he sees Minjun’s hand leave his shoulder. The bodyguard still looks like someone else with Junho’s clothes on.

“You can bring those back on Monday.” Junho gives Minjun a quick once-over. “I expect them returned clean and fresh. Do you have someone to do the laundry for you?” Junho exits the vehicle, already planning on using ointments for muscle relief. 

“You’re making it sound like doing laundry is such a hassle nowadays. I’m capable of doing it by myself, thank you.” Minjun closes the back door, focusing on the part of the question Junho doesn’t really care about.

“What, your girlfriend makes you split chores?” Junho grins, tapping his fingers a little below his Adam’s apple.

“I’m single, but I’m all for equality.” Minjun's gaze turns sceptical. “Are you trying to interrogate me again?”

“No, I’m just being friendly.” Junho smiles innocently and judging from the bodyguard’s dubious expression, he doesn’t buy it.

“That’s an interesting concept.” Minjun takes a step closer and touches Junho’s forehead with the back of his hand. “Doesn’t look like you have a fever.”

“Huh?” Junho swats the bodyguard’s hand away.

“You gave me a day off, now you’re allegedly trying to be friendly: you’re too nice to me today. Something doesn’t add up.” Junho snorts at Minjun’s explanation.

“Well fuck me if I’m actually in a good mood. I can still make you come here tomorrow and spend the day on the stairs outside.” They stare at each other until the left corner of Minjun’s lips turns upwards.

“I’ll see you on Monday, Junho. With clean clothes and all. Maybe Crocs, too.” Minjun snickers.

“Don’t even think about that.” Junho turns around and waves his arm without looking back. “See you on Monday, bodyguard.”

Minjun doesn’t see it, but Junho has a sly grin stretching across his face. He learned something new about his bodyguard today. Next week, he will learn even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the chapter wasn't too boring haha. Let me know your thoughts!  
> I can promise that the next chapter will be very interesting and things will start picking up from there ;)


	4. Quicksilver and a Thief

[](https://imgur.com/QUVO4pn)

 

The morning sun shines brightly through the bedroom window, casting a variety of reflections and shadows on the carpeted floor. It's getting warmer each day, so Junho grabs a lighter outfit he had assembled and put on the bed earlier. He slips into blue skinny jeans and muted pink jumper with a white graphic illustration of ocean waves in the middle of the chest. 

Junho feels refreshed and full of energy: maybe spending a Sunday at home and relaxing isn't so bad once in a while. He planned to work on some projects, but somehow, he ended up watching TV and eating, turning himself into a complete coach potato. It's a rather unusual behaviour for him, but the things that happened on Saturday probably made it easier for him to turn into a lazy man since his muscles felt quite sore, begging for decent relaxation. Junho ended his uneventful day in his dainty massage bathtub, enjoying all the advantages it has. It seemed to work on his tired body because he slept very well that night.

Something was missing though, and Junho caught himself glancing over his shoulder a couple of times, expecting to see his bodyguard, but there was no one. Junho got so used to Minjun's presence that his absence felt like an anomaly of some sort. So, while he spent his day comfortably wrapped in blankets like a very thick burrito, he felt...oddly lonely. Junho was eager for Monday to come.

And there he was, checking himself out in the mirror while styling his hair into a well-groomed mess, ready to tackle a new work week. With all the events ahead, Junho knew it was going to be thrilling: a charity event later tonight and a three-day business trip to Singapore tomorrow evening. There was so much to anticipate.

His thoughts are interrupted by a familiar knock on the door.

"Come in." Excitement blooms in his stomach as the door opens and Minjun enters the room, looking sharp as always. Staring at the bodyguard's reflection in the mirror, Junho notices a white bag in his hands.

"Good morning," Minjun greets.

"Hey." Junho does some finishing touches to his hair, seemingly satisfied with the final results, and turns around. "What's in the bag?"

"Your clothes." Minjun's smile is barely visible, but his eyes look mischievous. "I was tempted to throw in a pair of Crocs, but thought that might ruin your entire week and it's easier to work with you when you're not grumpy." Junho snorts and walks over to him. The bodyguard opens the bag for Junho. "Fresh and clean, per your request."

"I like people who can perform orders well." Junho pulls out the clothes and places them on the bed. "So, how was your day off?" he asks once they're out of the bedroom walking downstairs.

"Good." The short answer doesn't please Junho, so he attempts to dig deeper.

"Doesn't sound that good if the answer's so short." He grins at Minjun, grabbing a sandwich from the refrigerator and biting into it immediately. Minjun taps his fingers on the kitchen isle, seemingly contemplating something briefly.

"Spent it with my parents." Minjun's soft voice reveals his affection and there's a spark of jealousy spreading within Junho, but not the malicious type. Having only one parent who was always so busy with his work and couldn’t spare an entire day to spend with his son is the reality he had to deal with his entire life. Family gatherings were nonexistent in Junho's universe, and hearing others talk about it would fill him with regret and melancholy, which would end up with Junho asking himself _'Why me?'_. Junho wanted to know what it felt like to have a fully functioning and normal family. Unfortunately, he'd never know, and that knowledge crushed him.

"Junho?" It seems like Minjun caught onto the change of mood, his tone heedful and gentle. Shit, he probably knows about their family drama and has made conclusions of his own, because he looks at Junho like he's ready to apologise or something. Father must have shared something important with him. Is that why he wasn’t too keen on elaborating about his day off? Did he know Junho might feel hurt and turn solemn? Just how much does he actually know and how much attention does this man pay to the details? It's sort of intimidating, because Junho doesn't want to be read like an open book—he cannot allow people see too deep into him. He needs to be more careful.

"That cheese is really something else. Made me forget who I am." Junho grins, taking another bite and praying this distraction is convincing enough. There's a crease between Minjun's eyebrows, but he doesn't push it. Thank God. "Let's go." He hurries past Minjun and puts on black sneakers, chewing the sandwich like he's in an Olympic eating contest.

+

He checks on his employees and work in progress, walking through the separate departments and labs all by himself. Junho and Minjun came to a consensus that the bodyguard could stay by Junho's office and spectate the situation from there, as it was close to the entrance of the secure building. Minjun would roam there while Junho would make his rounds once in a while to check that everything is going along smoothly. With the staff of over 50 people, it might take a while; nonetheless, it's something Junho actually likes. Seeing the progress of current projects is fulfilling.

It's a little past lunchtime when Junho's done inspecting and heads for his office. Minjun's talking with someone over the phone, leaning on his left side, feet crossed and facing the entrance to the building, his back to the engineer. Junho turns right where Nichkhun is situated behind his desk and Junho sits on the edge, emailing his assistant a couple of tasks that need to be taken care of.

"So, everything's going pretty well, just sent you some info on what needs to be done while I'll be away." Junho places the tablet in his lap and Khun nods.

"Okay, thanks. I bet you can't wait for the flight." Khun smiles enviously. "I mean, Singapore, it must be nice."

"Yeah, unfortunately, flight days excluded, I'm going to spend only one full-day there, but the conference should be interesting. I'm ready to get some inspiration." He smiles dreamily.

"Who's that?" The assistant's question makes Junho turn around. There's a dark haired male walking towards Minjun with a wide smile plastered across his handsome face, seemingly in his twenties. He's not wearing a suit, just a smart-casual stylish outfit. Minjun extends his hand to him and their hands clasp as they pull each other into a bro-hug, the unknown man patting Minjun's shoulder, and when they pull back slightly, he taps the bodyguard's cheek lightly and Minjun chuckles. 

Who is this guy? Junho stares suspiciously, as the pair turns away, apparently looking at something while huddling close.

"I'm about to find out," Junho says and grips the tablet tighter, making his way to the preoccupied duo. "Hey." He draws attention to himself, the mystery guy immediately turning around and extending his arm for a handshake.

"Hey! I'm Jackson. Wang Jackson! It’s nice to finally meet you in person!" Junho has no choice but to shake his hand, and the amount of enthusiasm in the guy's grip is overwhelming. He's radiating happiness, sunshine and rainbows all at once. It puzzles Junho even more.

"Jackson's my business partner. Sorry I didn't tell you he was coming here, it was kind of last minute." Junho glances at Minjun, all three of them smiling politely.

"My bad, my bad!" Jackson waves his arms, his bubbly personality a little too much for Junho. He's the complete opposite of Minjun and they're business partners? This guy? Maybe Junho's first impression is wrong, but for a security company business partner, he was expecting someone older and more reserved. "I had some last-minute documents for Minjun to sign, so I rushed here to do that. With him being away from headquarters, I have to catch him whenever I can." 

"No, it's alright. I understand." Junho puts one hand in his pocket. "It's kind of my fault." He smiles. "You can come here anytime you need. Would you like to come to my office? Get ourselves more acquainted, if that's okay with you?" Jackson glances at Minjun and the latter nods.

"I'll skim through the documents and sign them while you talk," the bodyguard says, and Junho shows Jackson to the room, closing the door behind them. It's time for another subtle interrogation.

"So, how do you find having a bodyguard?" They stop by the window, Jackson’s radiating smile almost making Junho squint. They must be about a similar age. Would he act differently if Junho were someone else and much older? Jackson’s familiarity and manners make him look very friendly and not very strict-business-like, although he does not overstep any crucial boundaries. Perhaps he grew up in a different environment, where people are more open. He has a barely noticeable accent.

"It's weird, but I got used to it. Minjun's really trying his best to make his presence less noticeable."

"He's really good at being stealthy. Always manages to catch me by surprise. His attention to detail is impeccable." Jackson chuckles, scratching his forearm. "I could never be a bodyguard. I'm much better at managing the business."

"How did you two meet? Did you know each other before starting the business?" Jackson looks to the right, outside the window, digging through his memories with a thoughtful expression.

"Not quite. I was a pro athlete, a fencer, until I got into a really bad car crash a few years ago. We met at the hospital: we healed together, even went to rehab procedures together. Both of us were a mess." Jackson snorts. "We talked a lot during that time, and I knew I couldn't go back to being a professional athlete because my shoulder was damaged permanently, so when Minjun told me his idea about opening a security company, I was hooked. I was studying business management at the time, too.” His smile is melancholic for a moment. “I don't believe in destiny, but the way things fell together felt surreal, you know? We both had gnarly injuries, we both needed a change in our lives, and look at us now." Jackson glances at Minjun fondly, the latter is completely unaware, immersed in the papers. To Junho it looks like they're more than just business partners, there's surely a friendship in there, too. "Anyway, all is great now!" Jackson's cheerful demeanour is back, punching Junho in the gut.

"That's good to hear." Junho smiles briefly. "So, you're doing all the work while I keep him bored here." Jackson laughs.

"Well, it's not always like that. He doesn't take on being the bodyguard that often, to be honest."

"How come?"

"We get a lot of clients from the entertainment world, but Minjun never works for them personally. He chooses only serious cases, and your father was very adamant about Minjun working for him."

"You think our case is serious?" Junho's voice sounds amused and that makes Jackson chuckle.

"Of course! Why else would Minjun agree to it? That man has a sixth sense when it comes to choosing clients who are in real danger." Junho frowns and Jackson looks alarmed immediately. "I didn't mean to scare you or anything!" Junho laughs at his reaction. This guy is like quicksilver.

"It's fine, I'm not scared. So, when did you start the business?"

"About three years ago. We get new trainees frequently and the company is growing steadily. Everything's going really well." Jackson looks proud, smiling with his lips shut tight.

"Well, I wish you all the best in your business. By the looks of it, you and Minjun are a great team."

"Yes, we are!" Jackson winks with a wide grin on his excited face. "It seems like he's done." They glance at Minjun waving the papers in his hand. "It was nice to meet you! You should come and visit our headquarters sometime, I'm pretty sure you'd like it there!" They shake hands.

"Good idea. Maybe I will find some time in my schedule." Jackson nods to that, smiling.

"Very well, then. See you around!"

"Bye!" Junho watches him walk away and take the documents from Minjun. They go for another quick bro-hug and Jackson leaves, the usual serene mood returning to the office. Doesn't Minjun get tired of him? Junho walks over to him.

"He sure has a lot of energy."

"You noticed?" Minjun smirks.

"Is that why you take the bodyguard job sometimes? To get away from him?" Minjun snorts.

"No. I find his energy very positive."

"So, he's like a battery, recharges you." Minjun stares at him with a hint of surprise.

"Very insightful. I'm impressed."

"Hey, I'm an engineering genius for a reason." Minjun shakes his head at him and at the same time Junho's phone goes off, reminding him of an appointment at the hair salon. "It's time to make me look all proper and nice for the charity event."

"Will they make that attitude all proper and nice, too?”

“Will you shut up?” Junho pleads exasperatedly at Minjun’s grinning face.

“Yes, sir.” Minjun’s expression turns serious, but the playful glint in his eyes is still there. Junho sighs and heads for the exit. Maybe Jackson is the one who needs saving from this man.

+

It's already dark when Junho's done putting on a suit. He stares at himself, analysing maroon dress slacks and jacket, a black button-up shirt beneath it. There's only one piece missing and Junho plays with the black tie in his hands, already fed up with the thing. Formal wear can be very annoying, especially when you don't know how to deal with a tie. He can't remember the last time he wore a suit, and even then, he'd chosen a bow-tie, but this suit came with a tie. Junho really liked the deep burgundy colour.

As his frustration grows, Junho remembers there's a formal wear guru downstairs and decides to go ask for help so Junho can finally drag himself out of this misery. Maybe Minjun won't make too much fun of him. One can hope.

The sound of his shiny black shoes rings across the house as the engineer walks downstairs, and when he turns right, he finds Minjun sitting on the sofa in the living room, staring at him like he just brought in a cake made of gold. Junho also notices a white piece of plastic sticking out of his mouth, most likely a lollipop because his cheek has an uncharacteristic bump on the left side. The intense look makes Junho feel somewhat self-conscious and he licks his lips.

"I need help with this thing." He twirls the tie in his hand.

"An engineer doesn't know how to tie a tie?" Minjun smirks and stands up.

"Shocking, I know." Junho rolls his eyes, watching Minjun come closer to him. "I don't remember having lollipops at home, when did you get that?" Minjun's fingers brush lightly across Junho's hand as he takes the tie from him and he looks up at Junho, seemingly calculating something.

"My mom. She must've slipped it in my pocket this morning." Ah, he was looking for Junho's reaction to that. Junho makes sure he doesn't look sad or remorseful this time, because he hates being pitied or being looked at like he’s this damaged child who can’t listen to other people talking about their families without turning miserable. Junho’s relaxed expressions seems to do the trick, no wariness in the bodyguard’s face.

"I thought you lived by yourself." Minjun smiles, popping up Junho's collar.

"I do. I stayed over at my parents last night, because they wanted me to." Minjun leans in and circles his arms around Junho's neck, placing the piece of clothing where it belongs. Junho holds in his breath when an indescribable, but definitely pleasant scent reaches his nostrils. What kind of fragrance is this? Minjun pulls back slightly to work on the part Junho failed at. Junho realises Minjun's parents probably don't see him often, and there's a tiny prick of guilt somewhere deep inside him for being the reason behind it. Minjun's mother showed a gentle gesture by slipping a sweet into his pocket and it makes Junho feel warm. Being surprised like this must be nice. 

"I hope they don't hate me." He focuses on Minjun's face, inspecting it from up close as the other works on the tie.

"No, they don't." Minjun glances at him, stopping his movement shortly. "Mom actually googled you and told me to tell you, and I quote, _'What a lovely boy'_." Junho's laugh roars in the room as he reclines his head back a little.

"Your mom..." He huffs, wiping a single tear of joy away. "Wow. Tell her I appreciate it."

"Will do." Minjun grins and resumes his work.

"What do your parents do?"

"Dad was a police officer, mom was a literature teacher. They're both retired now."

"Ah, so your dad inspired you to go to the military?"

"Yeah." Minjun fixes the collar and pats Junho's chest, flattening the tie. "All set." He takes a step back and gives a slow once-over, admiring the final result.

"So, how do I look?"

"Like you're about to give me a headache because everyone will want a picture with you, and I will have to grow a thousand pairs of eyes to do my job properly." Junho snorts.

"That good, huh?" He raises his eyebrow, looking at Minjun shake his head at him, a half-smile on his face. "I need to see it myself." Junho walks to the hallway where a body-sized mirror is hanging on the wall and stops. He blinks a few times, taking in the view: with a proper sleek hairstyle and a well-fitted suit, he sure looks pretty damn good. "Wow," he says and pulls out his phone, snapping a quick photo.

"Suits aren't that bad, right?" Minjun comes behind him.

"Still not as comfortable as casual clothes, but yeah, suits do look nice." He sends the photo to Nichkhun.

_Wow, I'd have a crush on you if I didn't have a wife._

Khun's quick reply makes Junho chuckle.

_You can always get divorced. I'm worth it._

He plays along.

_Sounds tempting. I'll let you know what Fei thinks about it. Have a good one at the event!_

Junho reads the reply and puts the phone back into his pocket, smiling.

"Are you ready, your Highness?" Minjun opens the door, smirking.

"Really? I took just one photo." Junho walks past him and slaps Minjun's shoulder lightly in the process. "You better grow those additional eyes faster."

"No need. I got two additional guards to watch us from afar for this event."

"Is it really necessary?" Junho climbs into the car.

"Better safe than sorry."

"Whatever." Junho sighs, defeated. There’s no point in arguing over this.

+

Minjun was right. Junho feels like royalty, press photographers shouting at him to turn one way or another, change the pose, and such. It’s gets to the point where he feels like a piece of expensive meat, so he ditches the red carpet with Minjun beside him. Junho doesn’t even know which additional security guards are Minjun’s because everyone’s in a suit here, so it doesn’t bother him anymore. 

They enter the venue where he sees a lot of round tables in the middle section; a few rows of chairs surround it and make a half-circle, and there’s a stage at the back of the massive hall. White colour dominates the interior, making everything look very sophisticated.

Junho finds his seat and settles, getting acquainted with his table buddies as Minjun stands behind him with a composed expression: his mind must be overheating, trying to analyse everyone who looks at Junho. 

The concert begins soon and Junho finds himself chatting with people sitting near him, sharing their thoughts and ideas about the event, their jobs, and such. There are some celebrities as well, their faces occasionally catching the engineer's attention. Overall, the atmosphere is splendid, and when Junho's turn comes to donate for the cause, he's generous. 

The general idea of this charity is to support poor families with sick children who can't afford expensive treatments. Junho has always taken part in random charities over the years, but mostly he'd choose causes for the children. Some of them have only one parent, some of them have none, so Junho feels obliged to chip in because he can afford it, and if that can make someone's life better, Junho won't hesitate. His company is very profitable, new clients and projects are piling up, his business is growing exponentially and only good things are in Junho's sight. He doesn’t see any reason he shouldn’t help.

After a couple of hours, the official part is over, so Junho and many others mingle around the venue and make more connections.

When he wants to catch a small break, Junho stops nearby a massive antique sculpture and moves closer to Minjun so no one would approach them, thinking the pair is having a very deep conversation.

"Shit, I feel tired. But there are so many people that could be my future clients..." He exhales.

"Don't be too greedy." Minjun glances at him, smiling. Junho snorts.

"How's the crowd, anyone suspicious?"

"Not really." Minjun shrugs.

Junho scans faces across the venue and his face falls when he notices someone staring back at him, a wide grin spreading across the man's face. Junho turns away quickly.

"Fuck." He chews on his thumb briefly, earning a confused look from the bodyguard.

"What?"

"Please tell me that man with blonde hair and all-black suit isn't coming our way." Junho stares at Minjun's face as the latter scans the crowd and then looks back at his disturbed client.

"I think he is." Minjun stares at Junho suspiciously. "Should I get worried?"

Can Junho tell him? Minjun already knows so much about him, would it hurt to tell him the truth, just this once? Junho looks away briefly. Fuck. If he's not going to tell Minjun, he's pretty sure that snake will. It's better if Junho just tells him straight away. He sighs. "That's Chansung. A bit more than a year ago he seduced me and stole one of my business ideas. Bastard loves boasting about it every time we meet. Although it doesn't happen often, obviously, just two accidental encounters. Fucking traitor." Junho scoffs and feels relieved when he sees no judgement on the bodyguard's face. On the contrary, it feels like Minjun is supportive, because he throws a cold glance at the man approaching them.

"If he starts being a dickhead, I'll step in."

"You better prepare for it because he's a major dickhead. The worst kind." Minjun's eyes leave Junho's face and it must mean Chansung is right behind Junho.

"What a pleasure to see you here, Junho." An overly sweet voice forces Junho turn around. Like always, Chansung looks gorgeous. The blonde hairdo accentuates his doe eyes, and Junho's sure Chansung knows that. However, there is nothing gorgeous about what Chansung did to him, and the contempt is as strong as ever.

"Can't say the same, you thieving bastard." Junho smirks as Chansung grins at him maliciously.

"Temperamental as always. Man, you look really hot in that suit, fits your ass perfectly. Speaking of ass, ah, memories..." Chansung lifts his glass of champagne. "I should drink to that." And he does, making Junho's blood boil: he wishes he could slam Chansung's annoying face to the ground.

"Fuck off."

"Hey, it felt good though, right? By the way you screamed my name, I figured it did. Maybe we–" Chansung's degrading speech is interrupted by Minjun moving in and standing between them, his back right in front of Junho's face. The engineer takes a step back slightly to the side and sees Chansung frowning at the bodyguard.

"Leave." Minjun's icy tone sends a shiver down Junho's spine. Chansung's scoffs and shifts his gaze back to the engineer.

"You're so afraid of me you got yourself a bodyguard?" He chuckles mockingly, making Junho grit his teeth.

"Don't flatter yourself." Minjun says, saving Junho from the verbal attack. "There are far more dangerous threats than one raving egomaniac."

"I'm kind of taking this as a compliment." Chansung smirks, leaning closer to Minjun, and even if he's taller than the bodyguard, Minjun doesn't look smaller in any way—his posture confident and unwavering.

"You should leave, now." Minjun repeats with the composure of a saint.

"Or what? You're going to punch me? I have black belt in taekwondo, I know how to defend myself." His evil smile almost makes Junho puke, and he doesn't understand how Minjun is still able to withstand that and stay calm. Then again, Minjun wasn’t affected by this man’s slyness personally. "I have plenty of awards to prove my skill. You think you can top that?”

"Cute." Minjun smirks back at him. "Tell me, have you ever gone on a mission to rescue a kidnapped government official from a terrorist base? Have you ever had to fight your way through dozens of trained men, then feel their blood splashing on your face when your bullets pierce them? Then you're out of bullets but you have to keep on going, so you use your knife to slash the necks of your enemies, look at their stomachs with their intestines falling on the ground and your shoes, and then, when you finally reach the person you're supposed to set free, the person doesn't know if you're a friend or a foe because all he can see is blood all over your body. You think you can top that?" Junho is frozen, so is Chansung, unable to counter that explicit confession. Did the bodyguard really have to go through all that? How does one live with things like that? Chansung and Minjun stare at each other for the longest time, and then Chansung takes a step back, the foul grin back on his face, nevertheless, clearly ready to retreat for the night.

"I like you." He lifts the glass to his lips and takes a sip, then he glances at Junho. "Maybe I should steal the bodyguard from you, too." He turns around and leaves. With all his essence, Junho wishes he could impale the dickhead and leave him to the vultures. This fucking psycho needs to be taught a lesson and the most violent one.

"Fuck him!" He spits and Minjun faces his fuming client, a deep crease between the bodyguard’s eyebrows.

"He must be a very talented actor. I take it he wasn't like this when he took advantage you."

"No. He showed confidence, but not to that extent. He had an internship at my company; a rival company sent him to get some useful information. I will always hate myself for being so naive. At least it taught me to run an extensive background check before taking interns or hiring anyone. I fucking despise him."

"Hey," Minjun squeezes Junho's shoulder. "Don't let him get to you, that's what he wants." Junho bites on his lower lip, absorbing Minjun's compassionate gaze.

"I need a drink," he announces and grabs a glass of wine from a waiter passing by. The alcohol burns his throat as Junho gulps it like water, wanting to erase the unpleasant meeting from his memory. He stops the waiter before he can leave and takes another glass, downing it in the same manner. When he's done, he puts it on the tray and ignores the waiter's shocked stare, the third glass already pressed against his wet lips. Junho finishes the drink and nods to the waiter, allowing him carry it all away.

"I believe that was almost an entire bottle. How's your alcohol tolerance?" Minjun inquires, regarding Junho's flushed face warily. Junho can already feel the heat in his cheeks.

"It's shit. Sometimes one glass is enough to get me drunk, depending on the alcohol."

"So, you're going to be completely wasted by the time we reach home." Minjun concludes.

"It would appear so."

"Very well. It seems like we're going home." Junho nods to that and starts walking towards the exit, but before he leaves the building, he stops by a random table and grabs a fourth glass of wine and drinks it, earning a dejected stare from Minjun. 

His head is starting to feel the first signs of drunkenness by the time he climbs into the back seat, and he knows it all goes downhill from there, but he doesn't care. He has Minjun to drag him through hell.

+

Junho feels his body being shaken, someone squeezing his shoulders. He blinks his eyes rather slowly, trying to regain his senses or what's left of them because he's so damn wasted. Of course, it's Minjun trying to wake him up.

"You really are a terrible drinker," Minjun deadpans.

"I don't need that judgement from you," Junho slurs slightly. "Lemme go." He tries to slip out of the car, but the ground moves somehow and Junho finds himself breathing into Minjun's neck, the bodyguard holding him in a tight embrace. The pleasant smell from before reaches Junho’s nose and apparently smell is the only sense that works properly at the moment. "Man... You gotta tell me the name... Of your cologne... Smells so damn good," he mumbles into Minjun's neck.

"I don't use a cologne." Minjun peels Junho off his front and hugs him around the waist instead, placing the engineers arm around his shoulders to hold on to.

"Fucking liessss... You just don't wanna me buying it..." Junho hiccups as they move towards the house slowly, his legs feeling like they're being controlled by an evil gnome.

"I'm not lying." Junho stares at Minjun, or rather, two Minjuns. He looks like he’s being serious.

"So... Why do you smell good?" Minjun glances back at him, amused.

“Hmm… Not too long ago I found this article… If I remember correctly, there is this intuitive scent detection system called major histocompatibility complex. It says people with different MHC…” Minjun doesn’t finish the sentence, as if he has just realised something.

"What?" Junho’s curiosity awakens.

“It’s nothing.”

"Listen, I smell bullshit… I might be hammered… But I’m not stupid…” Minjun opens the door for them and they enter the house while Junho makes a mental note to look up this MHC thing because the bodyguard doesn’t elaborate on the topic.

"Can you take off your shoes?" They halt in the hallway. Junho glances down at his feet and feels dizzy.

"I can try..."

"That means no." Minjun helps Junho sit on the shoe bench and kneels on one knee, unlacing the nifty shoes.

"Now you're… Really babysitting me."

"And whose fault is that?" Minjun cocks his eyebrow, removing the second shoe.

"I mean... I might have or might have not... Gone a lil' overboard... But like... I'm an adult... Of a legal age... So... I can do whatever I want..." Minjun stands up and Junho's eyes follow him.

"Do you ever shut up when you're drunk?" Junho grins.

"Just enjoy my voice... I heard it's nice." Minjun exhales heavily as Junho giggles stupidly. Even he feels embarrassed by the sound, so he stops. 

"Come on, stand up." Minjun waits for Junho, but as he rises and tries stay steady, he almost falls forwards and, once again, Minjun steadies him. This time the bodyguard's hands are below Junho's armpits as the latter holds onto Minjun's biceps. They feel very tense under his touch.

"You sure work out... A lot... Just look at that..." Junho squeezes the flesh beneath his fingers and looks up at Minjun. He seems really tired of Junho's drunk antics. "When do you find the time... To work out?"

"Like all regular people, after work." Minjun places Junho into their previous supportive-walking position: a hand on Junho's waist and Junho's arm around Minjun's shoulders. The bodyguard’s grip gets tighter when they start making their way upstairs and Junho can feel it better than anything else. It’s like only one sense can be active at a time, and touch is winning this round.

"If you let go of me now... I'm gonna die... Then dad's gonna be pissed... All this security and his son's killed by the stairs..."

"I'm not going to let you fall, relax. Or don't, better stay focused." They finally reach the second floor and Junho cannot wait to fall on his bed, feeling exhausted from keeping himself upright.

Minjun helps him sit down on the bed, the warm lighting from the bedside table making Junho feel all fuzzy inside, his consciousness becoming more and more drowsy. Junho gulps and the tie around his neck feels very tight, so he grabs on it, trying to peel it away, but instead makes it tighter, forcing a choke out of him. Junho hears Minjun sigh and looks up at him with pleading eyes.

"You did this... Undo it..." He commands lethargically and Minjun bends down.

"If I would've known you're such a terrible drunk I'd have stopped you. Adult or not." Minjun's fingers swiftly undo the tie and set Junho's neck free of constraints.

"Hmm... How am I terrible? I'm pretty tame when drunk... Just very sleepy..."

"That might be true, but you have no control over your own body." Minjun pulls away.

"You're so obsessed with control... Gotta relax sometime..." Junho fumbles with the shirt buttons, attempting to unbutton it.

"I'll relax when my contract gets terminated." Minjun stares at Junho working hard on the shirt, barely done with the top button, and his expression grows more sceptical.

"That might take years..." Junho pouts and finally gets done with the first button. "Like unbuttoning this piece of shit shirt... Fucking hell..."

"Since it's almost midnight and I'd rather sleep than watch you suffer through this, I'll help you." Minjun exhales and a second later Junho notices his jacket is gone, clearly his reaction too slow for the swift movement.

"I mean... Fine..." Junho stares down at Minjun's elegant fingers, unbuttoning the shirt quickly. He vaguely remembers Chansung doing the same when they got together, and anger surges through Junho, the feeling of humiliation eating him from the inside. In his drunken state, he also remembers Chansung threatening to steal the bodyguard from him and it sends another wave of irritation, his heart pumping quickly. Knowing Chansung, he could do anything with those dashing looks and sly tongue. Only when he was betrayed was Junho informed (by none other than the dickhead himself) that Chansung was capable of seducing even straight men. Junho stares at Minjun nervously, as the latter's almost done with the task. "He said he would steal you from me." Minjun looks at him confused at first, then his features soften and a confident half-smile appears.

"That's not happening."

"How do you know?" Minjun takes off Junho's shirt and straightens his back, looking at his perplexed client.

"I have a contract." Minjun chuckles, but Junho still doesn't feel reassured. His bodyguard is his, not Chansung's. He should just fuck off, but knowing him, Chansung might want to screw with them, because he likes a good challenge and Minjun just gave him one.

"A contract doesn't mean he will stop." Somehow, Junho's mind gets a bit clearer, all these intense feelings taking over him. "He... he might want to seduce you, too... And he's good at it... Even with straight men..." Junho glances away briefly, hugging himself protectively. Being betrayed and fooled like this is something no one should ever experience.

"Junho." He looks up at the bodyguard, the latter's expression compassionate, and Junho knits his eyebrows, waiting for him to speak. "He could be offering me immortality and I wouldn't fall for his dirty tricks. I despise people like him and that won't change. My only regret is that you had to experience what he did to you and I can't undo that. I can see it still haunts you and you're worried he might use his sly tactics on me, which is very thoughtful of you and I appreciate it, but I can assure you: he won't be stealing me from you in any shape or form. I'm loyal. That's all you need to know." Junho gulps and licks his lips, his body trembling slightly, maybe because he's half-naked and the air in the room feels chilly on his bare skin, but he doesn't pay attention to it. Minjun's answer unleashed something in him, and this convincing reassurance makes him breathe in harder. Junho's at a loss for words. Minjun asks, "Can you finish with the pants?"

"Yes... Yes." Junho nods eagerly. Even if it'd take him all night, Junho would finishing undressing all by himself, because there's a damn weird feeling in his gut and there's no way Junho needs that kind of exposure, even if the feeling is purely internal and not visible from the outside. He’s very self-aware all of a sudden, even with the drunk brain.

"Okay. Are you going to sleep in tomorrow? Hangover and all."

"Yeah. You can come in at 10AM or later." Junho puts his hands in his lap, watching Minjun take a step back. "The flight's at 5PM, so we have time." Junho rubs his eyes sleepily.

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well." Minjun makes his way towards the door when Junho's voice stops him.

"Minjun." He looks back at Junho. "Thanks." The bodyguard smiles and shuts the door behind him, leaving Junho alone.

After struggling with his pants for a while, Junho finally slips under the sheets and his mind isn’t as hazy as before, so he grabs his phone. His eyes focus on the screen and he has to squint really hard to be able to read. He then remembers the mental note he had made earlier and types it on the screen.

_Major Histocompatibility Complex._

He finds nothing that interesting, just something about the immune system, but as he’s about to put the phone away, a certain article title catches his attention.

_Why Do Some People Smell Better to You Than Others?_

Junho clicks on it quickly and scans through the contents.

_…We’ve all heard the cliché; when you are attracted to someone, you just know it, without any logic or reason…_

_…When it comes to attraction, your nose knows what’s best, since all people subconsciously sniff out others who are more compatible as mates…_

_…The reason we are attracted to some natural scents more than others is the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), which is tied to your immune system…_

_…This intuitive scent detection system has evolved to let us choose the best partners for a genetic advantage in reproduction, since we tend to be most attracted to partners with an MHC composition much different than our own…_

_…When someone has an MHC with a composition unlike yours, they have stronger immunity toward different diseases and medical conditions than you do, so they naturally smell better to you…_

“What the fuck.” Junho blinks. “Fucking pseudo science.” He throws his phone away and rolls on his other side, staring at the window. Now he understands why Minjun didn’t want to elaborate. This sounds fucking ridiculous. Moreover, that would imply that Junho is…

“This is the dumbest shit I’ve ever read. Sounds like a goddamn astrology book. Exactly. I’m right. It’s shit.” Junho sighs and closes his eyes, feeling content.

Until the memory of the alluring scent creeps into his dreams and, for the first time in months, Junho has a very explicit dream. 

And it involves his bodyguard. 

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/aAsUI4w)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew... That's was a pretty long chapter. Two new characters! How do you like them? Or maybe dislike? lol. Jackson's character was inspired by these photos: [Photos](https://twitter.com/JacksonWDaily/status/944093955544834050)  
> What did you think about this chapter?  
> The next one will be... Intriguing.


	5. Fireworks

[](https://imgur.com/s19K3NF)

He stares at the ceiling, eyes wide. The pounding in his head reminds him of last night’s poor choices. Those same poor choices probably triggered the dream he had. Junho was never one to remember his dreams, but this one was so vivid and felt so real that he was questioning himself if it really did happen.

He turns his head left and, obviously, the bed is empty. There’s no second body there, no signs of something indecent that might have happened. Junho exhales shakily: his subconsciousness really played a very dirty trick on him, almost giving him a heart attack because of what he might’ve done when drunk. That’s how it happened with Chansung, and Junho was terrified that maybe Minjun was the same and took advantage of him. However, the intrusive thought is pushed away almost immediately because Minjun is not Chansung. There couldn’t be two more different people than them.

Alcohol makes Junho compliant and weak, and when Chansung seduced him, alcohol was involved. Although, Junho cannot blame everything solely on the alcohol because even when he was sober, he wanted the intern in his sheets: days of subtle flirting, teasing, and Chansung’s gorgeous face and body lured him in like a moth to the flame. Alcohol was the catalyst that unleashed all the lust. If only Junho had known about Chansung’s ulterior motive... He was so keen on making Junho talk about the future of his company, some possible project ideas, and Junho blabbed some, his head dizzy, mind relaxed and unsuspecting. Chansung could’ve finished there, but he continued with the flirting and wrapped Junho in his embrace, the latter kissing back and giving in completely. Now Junho knows Chansung wanted to make sure he’s the one who won, and fucking Junho was his trophy. The following morning, when Chansung coldly told him he’s leaving the company because he got what he wanted, humiliation crushed him like a ton of bricks.

Junho couldn’t go to the police and tell them, _‘Hey, so my sly rival fucked me and stole one of my ideas’_ , because he felt ashamed and it was just too much for him, so he chose to let this one slide and keep it to himself. Nichkhun was the only one who knew what really happened and was the support pillar Junho needed. 

Chansung changed him, and Junho could never trust new people the way he used to before. Especially if someone tried to get closer to him. He knew Kwon and Anna from before, so they fit his new mindset; thus, having sex with them was quite relaxing since Junho trusted them enough to let them in his bed. What he couldn’t do, though, was be open with new people, let alone get intimate. Junho got used to that, immersing himself in work and getting his pleasure from there. Nothing like sex, but it makes him feel fulfilled.

Minjun is so different. He exudes an air of trustworthiness, and rightfully so, because he always does everything to keep Junho in one piece and unharmed, not only physically. Last night was proof. All the while, Junho feels embarrassed as hell because, unfortunately, he’s the type of drunk who remembers everything; he remembers what Minjun told him and how in his own way he consoled his client, even though it wasn’t in his job description. He might have walls of his own, but the bodyguard is genuinely a good person, and when needed, he shows compassion and support. It’s not all just a cold and ambiguous exterior, there’s something warm within the man that he keeps hidden until he feels it’s the right time to share that warmth. 

Junho rolls on his side and freezes in a fetal position, clutching tight onto the duvet. Sometimes dreams make people feel different about the ones they dream about once they wake up, and Junho cannot shake off this weird feeling. It’s so odd; he doesn’t know how to word it exactly. It’s pleasant, but it also has a hint of uncertainty and, undeniably, longing. It fucks with Junho’s post-drunk brain until he hears a barely audible thud coming from downstairs: Minjun must be here. 

Junho moans, sitting up. That fucking headache…

He takes his time in the shower, mulling over everything that happened yesterday. Now that he’s more awake, he’s filled with conflicting emotions. He shouldn’t have gotten drunk. Junho realises he was so damn stupid with some of the things he said to Minjun, let him too close even. Maybe it’s best to pretend he remembers nothing. But then again, the way Minjun expressed his loyalty had Junho reconsidering about lying. 

And the MHC thing... Junho groans, devastated, and hopes Minjun doesn’t take this the wrong way. The article was a pile of crap anyway and a drunk man’s words can’t be taken seriously.

He digs through the closet and chooses a long black shirt, ripped skinny blue jeans, and a dark green bomber jacket. This should be good for the flight. He also grabs a black baseball cap and finishes his look with a pair of golden earrings—Nichkhun’s gift for Junho’s 25th birthday.

His throat feels like it’s been decorated with sandpaper overnight, and he slowly makes his way towards the kitchen for a drink. He licks his lips when Minjun directs his nonchalant gaze at him, leaning back on the counter, a half-smile tugging at his lips. Junho also notices the bodyguard ditched the suit and chose dark grey pants, a blazer of the same colour, and a white V-neck shirt underneath. Minjun has definitely read the weather forecast for Singapore, opting for a lighter and less formal outfit. His hair also went through an uncharacteristic change, bangs covering his forehead. It makes him look softer.

“How are you feeling?” Minjun asks, watching Junho move towards the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water.

“Disastrous.” Junho gulps the liquid and sits on a kitchen stool while Minjun takes a seat across. Junho pushes the bottle away, his throat feeling much better, but his head still feels like someone’s been drilling holes in it. Junho removes his cap, folds his arms on the table and puts his head on top, his nose almost touching the surface. “Kill me,” he blurts.

“That’s not in my contract.” Minjun jokes and Junho huffs, still with his eyes closed. “I have something for you.” Junho raises his head a little as Minjun slides something across the table. “Pills. For hangover,” he explains.

“Uh... Thanks.” Junho blinks and takes the packet. Did he go to the pharmacy especially for this? Junho downs the pill. “Is this because you don’t want me grumpy again?”

“That, too. But mostly because flying with a splitting headache is a torture no one deserves.” He smiles.

“Even Chansung?” Junho smirks and something shifts in the bodyguard’s gaze, like he’s wary of something.

“Except him.” Minjun snorts and leans back. At the same time Junho’s stomach growls obscenely loud. “Hungry?”

“I don’t know.” Junho has no idea what he wants. He just feels weird and wants it to go away. Maybe food might help with that.

“We still have some time to kill. I know how to make a hangover soup and you have the products. Up for it?” Junho raises his eyebrow at the bodyguard. He’s so lenient this morning that Junho pinches himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming. Maybe he should get drunk more often if that means getting special treatment. It actually feels nice when someone is treating you to something. Homemade food, nonetheless.

“Okay.” Junho agrees. Minjun nods and stands up, removing his blazer. Junho’s eyes linger on the collarbones peeking from the V-neck, his gaze follows down the gun holster hung around his shoulders as Minjun moves towards the refrigerator. A sudden flashback from the dream catches Junho by surprise; a dream in which Junho held onto the same holster while Minjun fucked him with Junho’s knees pressed to his sides, the bodyguard’s hands holding him down firmly. A shiver runs down Junho’s spine, imaginary sirens blaring in his head.

_Shit._

Junho grabs at the bottle too forcefully and almost throws it on the ground, earning a puzzled glance from Minjun. The engineer looks away, willing the flashback to dissipate from his memory while eagerly drinking the chilled liquid. Minjun goes back to chopping.

This isn’t normal. Or good. 

He exhales, placing his right cheek on his folded arms, watching Minjun work on the soup. No, this state he’s in is definitely strange even for a hangover. Junho needs to occupy his head with something else.

“Where did you learn to cook it?” he asks casually, feeling calmer.

“Mom.”

“You must have gotten on her nerves with your heavy drinking, I suppose.” Minjun chuckles.

“I just happen to like the spicy taste. Nothing weird about that.” He shrugs as Junho stares at the bodyguard’s back.

The rest of the cooking continues in a comfortable silence. The pill seems to do the trick, and by the time Minjun is done with the soup, Junho’s headache has subsided immensely. And the soup tastes just great, which is a bonus.

 

+

 

Singapore is dark, humid, and hot when they land. Junho immediately takes off his jacket while they walk over to a guy holding a placard with their names written on it. Minjun told Junho they’d be staying in a house that has a couple of security guards. They’re not Minjun’s employees, but they should do the job just fine, according to the bodyguard.

Around midnight they reach a house with a high concrete fence, similar to the one Junho has. This might feel just like home, Junho thinks, but when they enter the yard, he notices the house has only one floor and an outdoor pool. That’s kind of posh.

It’s a pretty elegant house: a spacious living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a gym, and even a small cinema theatre. Minjun chose this, but his priorities were obviously security-related; from the looks of it, the house has a pretty good security system, with cameras and all. Being a technology freak, upon closer inspection, Junho deduces that the security at his house is more up to date.

Junho takes the bedroom closer to the kitchen, while Minjun is left with the one closer to the pool.

The engineer feels pretty beat (consequences from the last night still slightly apparent and add a six-hour flight with occasional heavy turbulence to that), so he hits the bed first while Minjun checks every corner of the house and talks to the guards. Thankfully, Junho blacks out fast and has no dreams this time.

 

+

 

They have different shadows following them in Singapore. Again, not Minjun’s employees, but they come from the same company that owns the guest house. Junho doesn’t really care anymore—it’s not like he has a say in the matter. As long as only Minjun is invading his personal space, it’s alright.

The international conference for robotics and technology takes place in a huge venue and Junho has a blast there. Myriad workshops and a couple of interesting presentations fill Junho with new knowledge he’s sure he’s going to use in the near future. However, despite him being invested in this event, Junho feels a strange anxiety rising inside him. He just cannot understand why or how, but he finds himself fidgeting a lot, glancing at Minjun who’s too busy looking everywhere but Junho. 

Closer to the evening, anxiety switches to irritation. Maybe it’s the exhaustion, Junho has no clue. All he knows is that something irks him, and he needs to do something about it. 

He chews on his thumb on the way home. Minjun is in the backseat with him while the driver and another guard sit in front; the arrangement was different this morning with only him and Minjun in the vehicle. This is so weird. Too many people. Junho doesn’t like this. Minjun somehow avoids his face, too. Is he imagining things? Minjun’s mind seems to be somewhere else, his eyes distant. It makes Junho breathe heavier because he doesn’t understand what’s happening here. Everything seemed fine yesterday and today it’s just... Bland. Boring. Way too strict.

As soon as they stop in the yard, Junho jumps out of the car without looking back and walks to the pool, fingers tugging at his blue shorts. He kicks off his shoes and stares at the blue water illuminated from the bottom, then glances through the glass door at the kitchen where Minjun is drinking something. 

Should he play a prank on him? Would it make him pay more attention to Junho? They barely even talked today and Junho doesn’t get it. Did he do something? No, he’s pretty sure he did nothing wrong. So, what is it? He feels like just asking won’t work, and if Minjun’s really so fucking dedicated to protecting him and do his best at it, maybe this prank would reveal just how much Minjun really pays attention to Junho, because right now, Junho feels neglected. As stupid as it sounds, that goddamn frustration clouds his mind.

Junho falls face flat into the water and floats, hoping he has enough breath to endure this prank. 

Just as he’s about to give up, his body is suddenly jerked upwards and Junho breathes in greedily, feeling Minjun’s fingers dig deep into his shoulders. Minjun’s face is a mix of shock and confusion and Junho laughs.  
“It’s just a prank! No need to look so serious!” Junho chuckles as he notices Minjun is fully clothed, except for the blazer thrown near the edge of the pool, and the gun is there, too. His white t-shirt is clinging to his skin, so is Junho’s, and when the engineer’s eyes return to the bodyguard’s face, he sees controlled rage behind those dark orbs. It actually intimidates him, and his smile drops, realising that perhaps this provocation went a little too far.

Without touching, Minjun forces him to the edge of the pool slowly, radiating pure anger. Junho’s back hits the blue tiles and Minjun traps him there, placing his hands on each side of Junho’s shoulders. He leans in, making Junho gulp nervously, water dripping down the bodyguard’s wet hair and face.

“It’s just a prank?” His voice is cold and Junho’s insides twist. “Do you know a tale about the rabbit? The one where a rabbit keeps on playing pranks on his forest friends, pretending something bad happened to him and fooling them into helping him?” Junho shakes his head. “One day, the rabbit gets seriously injured and screams for help, but no one comes because they think it’s just another prank. So, the rabbit dies.”

“Listen, I–”

“You don’t get to joke about death when your life is in real danger. Junho, I really thought you were smarter than this. Now, you look just stupid.” Minjun pushes back and sidesteps, then pulls himself over the edge, Junho simultaneously doing the same, his bruised ego overpowering the initial fear and embarrassment. Minjun thinks he’s a stupid brat, and he’s not about to let him have the last word here.

There’s a rush of adrenaline pumping through Junho’s veins as he catches Minjun by the arm, kicks his foot, and makes the bodyguard trip, pushing the older man on his back. Junho lands on Minjun’s waist, straddling him, one hand on his damp shirt above his heart and the other hand curled into a fist, ready to hit him.

However, Junho stops, seeing Minjun’s smirk. 

What? 

Cogwheels turn in Junho’s head.

Of course, Minjun let him do this. There’s no way an untrained man like Junho could actually make a soldier trip so easily in such an advantageous position. It was Minjun’s turn to provoke him, and Junho took the bait like a brainless fish. Junho’s right hand joins the left one and tugs at Minjun’s t-shirt, his nostrils flaring in anger. Well played.

“What’s gotten into you today?” Minjun asks calmly and Junho looks away, avoiding his inspecting gaze.

“Nothing.”

“Junho, I think we have to talk about this.”

“About what?”

“You trying to provoke me. I didn’t understand it at first, but I think now I do.” Junho looks back at Minjun and he somehow feels vulnerable; the bodyguard’s opaque eyes are piercing. “I think your problem with me isn’t me being your bodyguard or losing your freedom, but the fact your true self will be exposed, and you don’t want anyone to see it. So, you use different masks to hide yourself. You deflect and provoke me to confuse me and test me. Am I wrong?” Junho’s breathing deepens, feeling his soul being stripped away, his hands grasping Minjun’s shirt tighter.

“Like you’re any different.” Minjun snorts at Junho’s defence.

“I am. You use masks, and I choose to keep some things to myself while not changing who I am. It’s different because you pretend to have different character traits and act, while I’m clearly showing I’m not going to elaborate on one topic or another while staying true to myself. We all have secrets or scars to hide.” Junho huffs and climbs off Minjun, sitting beside him on the tiled floor, hands in his lap. Minjun sits up, staring at the engineer’s profile. “I’m not your enemy, Junho. I’m here to protect you. So, drop the act around me. You can trust me. I won’t butt into your personal business; I won’t interrogate you about your feelings and whatnot. If you want to talk to me, that’s fine. I just really hope we can get past that deception you like so much, because I need to know if I can trust you back and do my job properly. Can you accept me?”

Junho licks his lips, staring at the bodyguard. Jackson was right; Minjun is very perceptive with his attention to details. However, he missed one thing and Junho’s glad he did, because the realisation dawned upon him seconds ago and made him feel partially ashamed: it was unfair to crave attention from Minjun because he is his bodyguard and he doesn’t have to look at Junho all the time or do something nice for him, like cooking soup. Junho felt good when he was taken care of because no one ever did that for him, and he wanted more. He never knew he could get spoiled so quickly and get so hungry for attention that he would start acting like a brat. Once you get a taste of it, you crave the full course.

Minjun was simply doing his job today, probably feeling more alert in the new environment, and Junho totally missed that point, putting himself first. Minjun doesn’t have to do anything for him other than make sure he doesn’t get killed, and yet he goes out of his way to make Junho feel at ease. Junho understands how terrible his behaviour must have been, now that he tries to see everything from another perspective, Minjun’s perspective. Junho’s been trouble since day one, a fucking stereotypical rich kid throwing tantrums at a person who is ready to catch a bullet for him. So, yeah, maybe he could do Minjun a favour and at least be real with him. No more deception or stupid pranks. Just like Minjun, he will choose what to tell and not to tell. It’s better than what he’s been doing till now. He doesn’t want to be toxic like Chansung; Junho doesn’t want to hurt someone who clearly has no intention of hurting him. On the contrary. He won’t let his old scars change him permanently, Junho needs to fight against what Chansung inflicted on him, because he sure as hell doesn’t want to be like him.

“Yeah. I can.” He smiles with his mouth closed and glances at the bodyguard. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Minjun’s warm eyes and the fact he’s so forgiving makes Junho knit his eyebrows, feeling like he doesn’t deserve that. “Hey, just don’t ditch your wit. It’s charming.” Junho laughs, being given the permission to continue with his sarcastic replies.

“What’s more charming is the idea of changing into dry clothes and going to sleep.”

“We’re not going to sleep in our drenched clothes? So, I jumped into the pool for nothing, huh.” Junho slaps Minjun’s shoulder.

“Maybe _you_ need to tone down that sarcastic charm.” Junho stands up and extends his hand to the bodyguard.

“That’s not what you really want, though, is it?” Minjun pulls himself up with Junho’s help, holding onto his large hand. Junho smirks.

“No.” He shakes his head, relieved this trust issue has been resolved between them. Once again, Minjun went out of his way to make things work between them. Junho wants to have that maturity, and he resolves to behave better moving forward.

They walk into the house, and Minjun locks the glass door. “Good night.” Junho waves and Minjun glances at him, smiling subtly.

“Yeah, good night.”

Junho goes to his bedroom and changes into dry underwear, quite content with what just happened. Not the shitty prank part, but what came after that. He feels calm now and promises himself to never do anything that stupid again. He’s only lucky that he got such an understanding bodyguard who’s willing to put up with him, considering how petty Junho was at times, and was still so patient. Junho falls asleep feeling grateful.

 

+

 

Intense thirst awakens Junho, his body asking for water in the middle of the night. Junho coughs, checking the time: it’s almost 2AM. He realises he didn’t really have much to drink during the day, busy with the conference, so his body is punishing him for the negligence. He sits up reluctantly and yawns, willing himself to walk to the kitchen. He doesn’t bother with the slippers or a robe, it’s not like he really cares in this state about common decency when the only person who’d see him is most likely in deep sleep, and Minjun has already seen him like this anyway.

Junho shuffles through the shadows cast by the lights from the yard and the moon. It kind of looks ethereal, but maybe it’s all in his head because Junho is half asleep. He opens the refrigerator, and the light coming from the thing almost blinds him, so it takes a couple of seconds to focus his vision. He grabs a glass bottle of mineral water and shuts the door, avoiding the annoying light. 

The water trickles down his throat, refreshing it instantly, and Junho exhales in contentment, pulling the bottle away from his wet lips. He hears something behind his back, but with him still being sleepy, his reaction is not the sharpest, so when he feels something cold pressed against his temple, Junho immediately realises he’s not alone.

“Kill the bodyguard.” The rough voice behind him whispers to someone, and Junho panics internally. He glances at the bottle in his hand, and he has only two options now: warn Minjun and probably get himself killed in the process or let Minjun get killed and get himself killed anyway. Both options result in Junho being dead, but at least Minjun could save himself, and that’s what’s important. 

Junho opens his hand, releasing the bottle that shatters on the floor. The man behind him cursed and turned Junho around, punching him in the stomach. Junho groans and the masked man grabs him by the hair, pushing Junho against the refrigerator and ramming the gun below his chin.

“We’re here to kidnap you, but if you try something funny again, I will kill you.” He sneers at Junho, the latter swallowing hard, his stomach so sore. He then notices more shadows outside and terror consumes him as he understands there are more than two people on this mission.

“Don’t kill him,” Junho pleads. Judging by the assailant’s narrowed eyes, he must be grinning. “Just take me. You don’t have to kill him.”

“Look at you, begging. So fucking noble, aren’t–” Junho flinches when he hears a gunshot and his attacker falls to the ground, blood seeping from the wound in his head. 

Junho is shaken to the core as he gazes at the lifeless body until he feels a warm hand on his bicep. There is Minjun staring at him, his face an epitome of ultimate composure. A heavy weight lifts off Junho’s shoulders seeing his bodyguard alive and well, no traces of blood on his tank-top and pyjama pants. However, he doesn’t have the time to analyse the situation because Minjun drags him to Junho’s room and pushes him into the bathroom, dimly illuminated by the soft moonlight coming from the narrow windows near the ceiling.

“Lock yourself and don’t come out until I come back.” Junho just stares at him and it seems like he cannot function properly, so Minjun’s voice sounds more forceful as he hears more people running into the house. “Junho. Now.” Junho nods and Minjun closes the door, leaving Junho alone in the bathroom. He locks the door from the inside, his brain a complete mess at what just happened, and it’s far from over.

He hears more gunshots, things breaking, grunts, screams, and disturbing noises, and he has never felt so terrified in his life before. He just stands in the middle of the bathroom, completely taken aback.

What if Minjun doesn’t come back? What if he gets killed? Junho’s hands start shaking, his head starting to spin a little. Should he go out and help? Fuck. No, he can’t. He would only make it worse. Junho doesn’t want the wolf situation to happen all over again. He learned his lesson: let Minjun do his job without hindering him. That’s why he forced Junho into the bathroom. So, all Junho can do is wait.

He flinches at every sound, feeling like this assault is taking goddamn light years, everything seemingly happening in slow motion. Is this what defusing a bomb feels like? That excruciating waiting draining all sanity from you while hoping to cut the right wire? Junho’s body is electrified, reacting to every little sound like it touches him directly.

After noise follows silence, and it’s worse than the sounds because Junho has no idea what’s going on: who’s alive and who’s not. He doesn’t have it in him to go out and check because he still needs to follow Minjun’s orders. Junho isn’t even sure he _can_ move because his body is completely numb.

Then, he hears soft footsteps and his eyes focus on the doorknob, the unknown crushing him like a can.

“Junho? It’s me. You can open now.” Junho’s breath hitches and he finds himself unable to move. Hell, he can’t even speak. He realises his body is trembling and he doesn’t know if it’s a shock or a panic attack, or something else. He knows nothing. He lost all control over his own body, traumatised by what has just happened. “Junho?” The voice calls again, but Junho is still frozen.

The engineer flinches again when Minjun shoots the lock and kicks open the door only to find his client looking like he just saw Medusa with her head full of snakes and had been turned to stone. Junho notices a wound on the bodyguard’s arm, blood trickling down his skin.

“Junho?” Minjun inquires again, his worry increasing the closer he gets to Junho, walking cautiously. Minjun puts the gun away on the sink counter.

Junho stares at him helplessly, his body shaking, breathing irregularly. So, Minjun wraps his arms around Junho’s quivering shape, one hand caressing Junho’s bare back, the other touching the back of his neck, fingers combing through his dishevelled hair.

“It’s okay. It’s over.” Minjun’s voice is calming while he soothingly brushes his fingers against Junho’s body. “They’re all gone. You’re safe. Just listen to my voice okay?” The warmth of Minjun’s voice seeps through Junho’s body. The heat radiating from him engulfs Junho in a safety blanket, and his muscles relax little by little, listening to the bodyguard’s velvety tone. “Breath in… And out… Just like that.” He guides Junho patiently, and the latter’s trembling subsides slowly as he finds strength to move a little and press his face into the crook of Minjun’s neck, his arms wrapping around the bodyguard’s waist and pressing closer to him.

Junho never knew a comforting hug could be so healing, so intense, and making him wish he could stay like this until the sun comes up. Minjun’s body feels so perfect against his, like the man was created especially for Junho. He breathes in the familiar scent, the one that allures him every time he gets a whiff of it, and this time it induces a sense of safety in Junho. Minjun’s gentle fingers massage his scalp and back slowly, bringing Junho to almost a meditative state while glued to the bodyguard’s front. 

“Junho?” His name rolls off Minjun’s tongue gently and they can hear the police sirens blaring from afar. Junho knows he has to pull away because he stopped shivering, his breathing is back to normal and his muscles are not rigid anymore. He swallows hard, peeling himself off Minjun’s hot body, hands still on the bodyguard’s waist while the latter’s hands abandon Junho’s head and back, finding their new temporary home on the engineer’s biceps. Minjun’s eyes look dark and there’s concern on his face, but Junho is more focused on his parted lips and the feeling that someone is having a party with powerful fireworks behind Junho’s sternum. That’s when it finally becomes clear to Junho.

_Fuck._

He has feelings. Serious feelings. Feelings he never knew he could have in him.

Junho shakes his head and takes a step back, remembering the situation they’re in, with police about to burst into the building. He briefly glances at Minjun who seems to be a little confused, blood still running down his arm. Junho grabs a towel and presses it against the wound, not being able to look him in the eye.

“I-I’m better. Now.” He says quietly, staring at his own feet, too self-conscious. He has goosebumps on his skin and Minjun seems to notice it because he takes a robe off the hook and hands it to Junho while he holds onto the wound covered with a towel Junho provided him seconds ago. Junho wraps himself in the soft fabric.

“It’s a completely normal reaction. You were in shock. Don’t be embarrassed about it.” Minjun reassures him and Junho’s glad Minjun can’t read his mind, because to be honest, for a moment, all he could think about was kissing him. And now that the uninvited thought is gone, the reality hits him once again: they could’ve died tonight. It’s all thanks to the bodyguard that they’re the ones standing here breathing.

He remembers how afraid he was and still is, but with Minjun’s presence here he knows he’s safe. He saw his assailant die, and from what he didn’t see, the sounds will be engraved in his memory for the longest time.

He feels even worse about the prank now because he didn’t see this coming and hadn’t even considered the threat to be real. All this time he ignored it, thinking it was nothing and the protection wasn’t necessary. He couldn’t be more wrong, and tonight he experienced a very hard punch to his stomach, literally and figuratively. 

_‘Minjun chooses only serious cases’_ , Jackson’s words ring in his ears.

Junho exhales and walks past Minjun out of the bathroom.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go there…” The bodyguard’s cautious voice stops him.

“I think I need to.” Junho continues walking, and when he reaches the kitchen, the aftermath presents itself in a gruesome way.

He moves slowly, avoiding dead bodies, blood and things scattered all over the floor. The view is deeply shocking. Junho feels bile rising up and he runs to the sink just in time to release the contents of his stomach there. He coughs, his hands holding onto the edges of the sink, until there’s nothing else left to puke. Minjun’s warm hand rubs his back soothingly, trying to relieve some of the tension in Junho’s muscles.

Meanwhile, police shows up and Minjun takes over from there. Junho rinses his mouth with water, turns around and slides down to the floor. He will never forget this. He’s sure he will have nightmares, too. 

How does one recover from this? He stares at Minjun, the latter still pressing the bloody towel to his arm while giving his statement. He did all of this. One man. Will Minjun be able to sleep in peace after everything? He must have seen worse. 

Junho doesn’t know if his own house is a safe place anymore. How did the attackers get in here? His thoughts are all over the place.

As he listens to Minjun speak, he learns the guards outside were killed and the intruders somehow got a hold of the security codes to get into the house. Someone probably leaked this information. Who’s the mole? This investigation is going to be so difficult.

The ambulance shows up and stitches Minjun’s cut while Junho gives his own statement, although there’s not much to tell as he was the one in hiding. He glances at Minjun and catches him staring back. He seems oddly serene, but still focused, and Junho is forced to look away to finish his statement.

After a few hours, they’re done, so they gather their things and are escorted to the airport. Good thing their flight is an early one, so there’s no need to reschedule. Minjun’s even more observant, despite that they had almost no sleep. Junho himself probably couldn’t go to sleep, not even if someone fed him sleeping pills. He senses paranoia creeping upon him, glancing at every face, thinking someone might pull a gun on them. This is not good; this shit is going to fuck with him for god knows how long.

They get to their seats in business class and Junho feels so exhausted from the stress, impatient to get home and leave all the dreadful things behind him, but something tells him he won’t be able to. If the Serpent is capable of getting into a well-secured house, who knows what else they’re capable of. If it weren’t for Minjun and his skills, they wouldn’t be sitting here.

He bites on his lower lip and looks at Minjun until the latter looks back at him.

“What is it?” He leans in, their seats separated by a wide armrest.

“I don’t think I can feel safe at my house if you’re not there.” A crease appears between Minjun’s eyebrows. “I’m so fucking paranoid, I won’t be able to fall asleep. It’s stupid, I know, but I’m so terrified. I keep thinking nothing is impossible for the Serpent now. Sure, the security system at my house is better than here, your men are probably trained better as well, but… I just keep thinking _what-if_? What if someone gets past all that security, and what if you’re not there, and...” Junho doesn’t finish his sentence, too worked up just from imaging things, no, remembering things.

“What are you suggesting?” Minjun inquires cautiously.

“I want you 24/7.” Junho’s heartbeat becomes heavier, realising how this must sound, and Minjun’s bewildered stare makes him speak up immediately. “I mean, your protection, extend it. I have a spare room you could use. If there are any business or personal matters you need to attend to, I will let you go. You don’t have to follow me around, just be there. I need you at my house. I’m just…afraid.” Junho licks his lips, feeling pressure from Minjun’s intense stare. He’s thinking. He’s actually considering this because he doesn’t reply immediately. He could easily tell Junho there are enough skilled guards on the property, but he doesn’t.

Minjun sighs and rubs the back of his neck, looking away briefly. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Junho’s excitement makes him straighten his back. Is this really happening? Did Minjun just agree to this slave-like contract change?

“If your father is fine with it, I can do it.” There’s a tiny comforting smile on the bodyguard’s face. “He probably wants you to feel at ease, and I want my client to feel safe, too.”

“Won’t it be too hard on you?” A sense of humanity awakens in Junho.

“I don’t think so. At least I won’t have to get up earlier just to get to your house.” He jokes, drawing a closed-mouthed smile from Junho. 

“And I have a gym…” Minjun snorts at Junho pitching the pros of staying at his place.

“See, only advantages.” There’s a bittersweet expression on the bodyguard’s face. “Thanks for dropping the bottle. Because of that, I had the time to grab my gun and sneak up on the guy who came into my room.” Junho nods, a barely visible, solemn smile on his face.

“They wanted to kill you, so I had to do something,” he explains.

“So, you saved my life, too. We’re even.” Minjun leans back in his seat, his hand gently touching the area where the wound is.

“How’s your arm?”

“Sore.” Minjun exhales, dark circles under his eyes more visible than before. Kicking ass must have taken a lot of energy from him, but he doesn’t complain. Always so stoic. Junho wishes Minjun would allow himself to relax sometimes, but it’s probably impossible since the bodyguard is so dedicated to his job. Most likely, Junho will have a hard time feeling completely relaxed as well, not only because of what happened last night, but also because he finally understands why he seeks Minjun’s attention and craves his touch. 

How is he going to deal with that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo were you ready for this? What are your thoughts?


	6. A Collage

They drag their suitcases behind them, finally walking on the soil of their homeland. It’s liberating to be free from the confined space of his seat; feels a little safer, too. Junho watched movies the entire flight, his eyes closing at times, but he never gave in to sleep even though the exhaustion was starting to kick in. Minjun was also starting to show signs of fatigue, rubbing his eyes and yawning indecently often. Being separated by a large armrest with no possibility of sitting closer to the bodyguard was somewhat upsetting. Junho felt pathetic that he craved this closeness so much because Minjun looked like he just wanted to teleport himself someplace where he wouldn’t have to keep his brain on high alert.

By the end of the flight, Junho figured he should be less pathetic and control his emotions better because there was a slim chance that this was just a passing infatuation. However, as soon as Minjun touched the small of Junho’s back leading him out of the aircraft, the unexpected tingling in that area warned him to drop the silly thought. His feelings were strong, and they intended to stay there. All Junho can do is suppress certain thoughts, pretending there are no tiny ants running in his stomach as soon as Minjun glances at him or makes physical contact. It’s all so new to Junho and he must find the pattern in this peculiar untitled algorithm.

Once they walk into the arrival hall, Junho notices a couple of familiar men in black and his perturbed father. When the old man sees him, he hurries towards Junho with the guards following right behind. Junho has never seen his father so worried, and it makes his heart ache knowing he’s the reason behind it. He sure as hell didn’t call him and didn’t tell him about the assault, so Minjun must’ve done that before they left the crime scene. Junho wonders what exactly his dad was told; did Minjun omit the explicit details and Junho’s mental breakdown? 

Apparently, not. The prosecutor pulls Junho into a tight hug, securing him desperately. Junho is on the verge of tears because showing this kind of affection is so uncharacteristic of his dad, and he did it so easily this time, ignoring all the weird looks from the passers-by. Junho lets go of the suitcase and hugs back, trying to hold back his raw emotions. He exhales shakily.

Done with the emotional welcome, his father pulls away and cups Junho’s face into his hands, staring him right in the eyes. The old man looked like he had aged since he last saw him, his wrinkles much deeper. Must be all the stress surrounding them both.

“Dad?” Junho says.

“When I received an unusually early call from Mr. Kim… for an excruciatingly long moment, I thought I had lost you.” He squeezes Junho’s cheeks harder. “I was petrified.” Junho knits his eyebrows, witnessing his dad’s vulnerability so vividly, so clearly; his own face was reflected in the old man’s eyes. 

“I’m fine.” He tries to put his father’s mind at rest and squeezes his shoulders, giving him a soft smile. Seemingly satisfied with the reassurance, the prosecutor pulls his hands away from his son. “Minjun did everything to save me. I can only thank you for giving me the best bodyguard.” His father smiles subtly and nods at Minjun who doesn’t look like he’s very comfortable when he’s given a compliment of that scale. Probably no one else would notice, but watching the bodyguard for so long, Junho learned that when Minjun rubs his thumb against the other palm, he feels either nervous or uncomfortable.

“I’ll make sure to give Mr. Kim the bonus he deserves.”

“Dad, about that…” Junho licks his lips. “We talked, and I asked Minjun to be my bodyguard 24/7. He said he’s up for it if you’re fine with the contract change. I’m afraid to be on my own after what happened, you know...” The old man raises one eyebrow, glances at Minjun, who nods, then glances back at his slightly fussy son.

“Of course, I’m fine with it. I want you to be safe and feel safe. If Mr. Kim agrees to that, then I’m more than happy to make some changes in the contract.” He smiles encouragingly.

“Should we go to your office, then?”

“Yes, we will set up the new contract immediately.” The prosecutor pats Junho’s shoulder and a sigh of relief escapes Junho’s mouth. It’s happening.

+

Cups of coffee and boxes of take-away food are scattered on the large wooden desk in the prosecutor’s office—a very unusual sight in a room that is always a perfect example of tidiness. On any other occasion, his father would be against this kind of disorder, but these circumstances are different. They were hungry, and fixing the contract takes time, of which they don’t have much today.

Jackson is here too because Minjun didn’t have the stamps on him. Overall, it’s kind of chaotic and busy. Junho feels slightly left out, so he just stuffs his mouth with more food, observing the trio consulting over the changes on the computer screen.

His father’s junior colleague, Park Jinyoung, makes a quick appearance and pats Junho on the shoulder, showing his support. He also shakes Minjun’s hand and expresses a wish to clone the man so there would be a second Minjun to guard Jinyoung’s well-being, too. After all, he was the colleague who was attacked by the Serpent first, prompting Mr. Lee to hire guards for himself and Junho.

After a while, the contract is finalised. Junho stares at the drying ink on the paper after Minjun signs the document and stamps it to seal the deal. It’s done. There’s a sense of relief within Junho after that, the invisible bond tying him and the bodyguard even tighter than before. The shadow behind him will be near at all times.

Junho, Minjun, and Jackson exchange their goodbyes with the prosecutor and leave the room, making their way towards the elevator. Now that the serious business had concluded, the mood lightens when Jackson starts cracking jokes, ready to make everyone laugh at least once because according to him, they should be celebrating life not brooding about danger. Minjun responds well to Jackson’s jovial banter, and by the time they reach the elevator, Junho also feels less tense and paranoid. Jackson’s positivity is food for the soul. Too much of it could give you a toothache, but still, it’s very welcome at the moment.

“I’m going to miss you.” Jackson says, staring at Minjun with an overly dramatic expression as the elevator door closes.

“You sound like I’m going to Mars, Puppy.” Minjun drapes his left arm over Jackson’s shoulders, his right hand messing with Jackson’s hair. Junho purses his lips. They’re very good friends, obviously.

“Puppy? That’s his nickname?” Junho inquires, barely smirking.

“Doesn’t he remind you of a puppy? Always enthusiastic and happy with his big puppy-like eyes.” Minjun glances at Junho, searching for agreement.

“Hey, I’m still here.” Jackson chuckles.

“You know, he does.” Junho grins and Jackson looks away, shaking his head with a tight-lipped smile.

“Well, in my humble opinion, Minjun looks like a panda.” Jackson counters, drawing a sceptical look from his business partner.

“I was thinking about Snoopy, but I can see a panda, too.” Junho chimes in, feeling this weird connection forming between him and Jackson. Crossing his arms over his chest, Minjun doesn’t look amused at all at whatever dumb crap these two are rambling about.

“If we’re going down this path, then you’re like a cat.” He stares at Junho, a hint of a teasing smile taking shape at the right corner of his lips.

“Oh, I can see that, too!” Jackson exclaims as the elevator door opens and they exit into the hallway. “I’d like to chat more but I’m in a hurry, taxi’s waiting nearby. See you sometime, both of you.” Jackson winks and leaves them in the hallway. It feels like he took some of the light-hearted vibe with him because Minjun’s eyes slowly lose the mischief induced by Jackson’s playfulness.

“What’s wrong?” Junho asks, sensing there’s something on the tip of Minjun’s tongue, but the latter seems to be having an internal debate.

“You and Jackson have the weirdest affinity for comparing me to cute things. I don’t get it.” That’s it? Junho snorts.

“What’s wrong with being compared to cute things? My friends used to compare me to a penguin.” Minjun sniggers and looks away.

“You want a serious answer?” The bodyguard’s eyes sharpen and Junho nods. “The things I have to do, who I am… the opposite of cute. Just last night, I killed, what, eight people? Can’t even remember. So, I don’t understand how anyone would compare me to something so harmless and positive when I’m nothing like that.” Junho’s chest tightens, seeing no humour in the bodyguard’s face. He showed this darker side of him to prove a point, allowing Junho to see a little past the barrier he usually puts up when he wants to avoid a certain topic. Junho doesn’t know if it’s because Minjun’s tired that he actually shared what he thinks; nevertheless, it feels special and he appreciates it. He just wishes Minjun would cut himself some slack because he has so many good qualities about him.

“But you aren’t just that. You have more layers. Don’t limit yourself to one.” Minjun looks a little surprised by Junho’s words, slightly cautious, too. Junho wishes he could see inside his head, but before this gets awkward, he speaks up again. “I believe we have to pick up some things from your apartment. Let’s go. It’s getting late.” Minjun doesn’t say anything back, so they walk to the Range Rover and take their respective seats in front and back, both fighting sleep deprivation. 

+

The apartment complex is tall with a secured entrance, as expected. Minjun said the guards are from his company, so that explains why he isn’t stopped at the gate for ID; the SUV passes through smoothly. 

The elevator takes them to the top floor, and the second door on the right turns out to be the bodyguard’s flat. Minjun opens the door for Junho and lets him in first. It’s already dark, only the city lights casting shadows across the walls, so Minjun turns the lights on as Junho removes his shoes.

“Feel at home.” Minjun walks past him, running a hand through his messy hair. “I’ll try to be quick.”

“It’s all right, you don’t have to hurry. I need time to snoop around.” Minjun glances back at Junho’s impish face and shakes his head, smiling.

“Of course you do. I’ll be in the bedroom.” Minjun turns right and disappears.

Junho walks straight into the living room, which is joined with the kitchen. There’s also a balcony behind the dark grey sofa, and Junho now knows why Minjun chose the top floor: the view from up here is amazing, especially at night with the countless dazzling lights creating a cosy atmosphere.

While the furniture is quite minimalistic, the artwork on the walls and the shelves catches Junho’s attention. He didn’t expect Minjun to be into art, especially colourful, vivid, and kind of odd art. Junho recognizes Rene Magritte’s works because of one assignment he had to do at university; back then, he thought the style was rather interesting but a bit too unusual for his taste. Now, looking at the reproductions, Junho can sort of understand why the bodyguard would like this type of art: like Minjun, it’s witty and thought-provoking.

Junho shuffles through the corridor and turns left to what looks to be an office, while Minjun’s bedroom is on the right side. There are loads of books, and Junho remembers Minjun mentioning his mom was a literature teacher, so it’s not surprising to see many different genres of books stacked neatly on the shelves. 

He walks around the white wooden table and notices a collage of photo frames, each capturing different parts of the bodyguard’s life. 

The first photo to catch his attention is the one with his family in it: Minjun is in the middle with his parents on each side and a birthday cake in his hands, candles indicating it’s his 18th birthday. Junho has to bite on the inside of his cheek to refrain from fucking squealing out loud, because this version of Minjun looks so unbearably cute—a cone party hat on top of his head, smiling widely at the camera, his youthful innocence shining through.

“Shit…” Junho whispers, warmth spreading inside him. Glancing at his parents, Junho notices Minjun’s eyes and smile on his mother’s face. So, just like Junho, he takes after his mom.

His eyes move to another photo with sand dunes in the background. Minjun is in his military uniform, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with a rifle in his right hand, his helmet in the left, and one foot placed on top of a small stone; he looks somewhere past the camera, a confident grin on his face. Junho licks his lips. He didn’t expect to be so affected by a couple of photos, and yet he has a hard time containing his feelings, seeing all the different sides of his bodyguard. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t slept since yesterday and is getting delirious, he doesn’t know. Either way, that uniform looks too damn good on him. Junho pulls out his phone and discreetly snaps a quick picture, thanking technology gods for silent mode.

Then, there’s a photo of Minjun with Jackson on his back, the latter waving some papers in one hand and a bright red bow in the other while Minjun holds Jackson’s legs, another warm smile decorating his face. The background looks like a training facility and they’re both in suits, so Junho assumes it’s the day of their company’s launch.

There’s another photo with Minjun’s parents; judging from the architecture and signboards they’re somewhere in the USA, all of them posing taking a bite of huge hamburgers.

Another frame contains a picture of Minjun in action, wearing only military pants and boots while running through mud and rain, seemingly screaming, his muscles tense and dirty. Junho guesses it must’ve been during the first year of training as there are more young soldiers in the background. Either way, he snaps another quick photo and, while he’s at it, he photographs the birthday one as well.

Junho freezes when he puts the phone back in his pocket.

 _I’m a fucking creep_ , Junho thinks to himself guiltily, but when you find something precious like this, it’s hard to hold back. He also doesn’t know what he’s doing anymore, everything just feels so goddamn surreal. The things that happened in Singapore, starting from his prank till now, are creating a soup of the weirdest feelings, resulting in this unusual behaviour. Or maybe Junho just wants to keep these photos because he knows there might not be another chance to see something like this.

The rest of the photos are casual candid shots of people he doesn’t know, and Junho scans through them quickly without much thought.

He notices a case with music CDs and, based on the artists and the covers, it seems like Minjun’s into jazz and hip-hop. Yet another surprise because Junho thought he’d listen to classical music or something. He realises he knows so little about the bodyguard, and just seeing his apartment and the contents of it opened his eyes and made him see more layers. Junho’s very content with these discoveries; it almost feels like entering Atlantis, but there’s still so much to explore.

Finally, he walks to the bedroom. There’s a huge bed with pastel purple bedding and a white headboard against pale grey walls. A spacious built-in closet lines the wall across from the bed, with a large mirror on the middle of the three sliding doors. Minjun is currently rummaging through the pants, kneeling in front of the drawer, his large suitcase almost full.

“Done snooping?” he asks without looking.

“You look like your mom.”

“Imagine how shocked I was when I found out.” He smirks, placing a pair of black sweatpants into the suitcase.

“You don’t say.” Junho snorts. “I look like my mom, too.” Minjun stops his movement and looks up at Junho, curious.

“Do you have photos of her?”

“At home. I stole some from dad when I was a teenager.” He smiles.

“He didn’t want you to have them?” It looks like it’s hard for Minjun to comprehend that, his expression slightly perplexed.

“It’s more like he’d rather keep me from memories I’ve never had so it’d be less painful when I think of her and create my own reality.” Junho licks his lips, not so sure if saying that was a good idea. Minjun’s expression turns solemn. “I’m good, though.” He fixes the situation quickly, not wishing to be pitied. Minjun sighs and goes back to folding. 

“I didn’t think you were so much into art.”

“You thought I had only a bed in my place? No commodities? A true strict ascetic?” Minjun chuckles, alluding to the formal style he chooses for his bodyguard duties. 

“You can’t blame me. You never show much of your personality through clothing, so what else was I supposed to think? Certainly not a hippie flair.” Junho laughs and Minjun stands up, opening the closet wider.

“Here. Not a monk, not a hippie either.” There’s a row of colourful hoodies, jackets, and sweaters. Very stylish, and far from what the bodyguard wears when he’s on duty. “So, what does that say about me now?” He gazes at the engineer as the latter comes closer.

“Unexpected,” Junho smiles. “Take them all with you.” He touches a bright red hoodie, an illustration of soft ice-cream in the middle.

“I can’t. Would be a waste to wear them at home, and no one will take me seriously if I wear them doing my job. I’m still a bodyguard, gotta look at least somewhat professional.” He closes the door. “I think I’m done.”

“Good. Let’s go home.” Junho covers his mouth, yawning. He can already picture himself in his comfortable bed.

+

“Home, sweet home.” Junho wheezes once they enter his house. He has no clue how Minjun was able to drive, being obviously exhausted. Junho himself had a hard time not falling asleep in the backseat, but he kept on talking to Minjun because it felt unfair to sleep since Minjun was also exhausted from keeping them both alive last night. 

So, the only thing Junho could do for them both was to keep them awake by talking about the music he found at the bodyguard’s office; he even got some recommendations from Minjun. Maybe Minjun didn’t even need all that talking, because his sense of responsibility wins over everything, but Junho still wanted to show that he’s not a selfish asshole who’d fall asleep without granting the same opportunity to the hero of the day.

They take off their shoes and carry their suitcases to the second floor; Junho leaves his in the corridor and turns right to the guest room to let Minjun in.

“Let me check if the housekeeper brought everything I asked for.” Minjun nods and pushes his suitcase towards the closet while Junho walks around the room and to the bathroom, making sure towels and any other important things are not missing. 

Everything seems to be intact, so when he exits the bathroom and finds Minjun taking off his blazer, he notices the massive bandage with brownish spots on it partly hidden under the sleeve of the white t-shirt. Right, Minjun was injured. The vertical wound goes from his elbow almost to his shoulder. “I think you need to clean the wound and change the bandage.”

Minjun glances at his arm, seemingly already forgetting about the wound. “Ah... I forgot medical supplies at home...” He sighs, tiredly.

“Go to the bathroom, I’ll bring some from my room.” Minjun nods and Junho soon comes back with a box of medical supplies. He enters Minjun’s bathroom and finds him there removing his white t-shirt.

Junho stops in the doorway because not only the bandaged wound is visible; there are bruises all over Minjun’s chest, abdomen, and back, making Junho realise the extent of the close-range combat. Minjun notices Junho staring at him and smiles lightly.

“It looks worse than it feels.”

“Are you sure?” Junho walks over to him and puts the box on the sink counter.

“Yeah. I bruise easily. The pain’s there only when I touch it.” He explains and turns to the mirror.

“Playing tough, huh? I’ll apply some pain-relief gel on your back at least—you can do the rest by yourself.” Junho states while washing his hands

“Deal.” Minjun chuckles in compliance.

Junho dries his wet hands and starts removing the bandage. Minjun hisses briefly because it’s stuck to the fresh stitches. “Sorry,” Junho says, glancing at him apologetically.

“It’s fine.” Minjun exhales, grateful the dirty bandage is gone.

“This will probably burn a little.” Junho sprays the cotton pad with the disinfectant liquid and dabs it gently over the stitches, cleaning the injury carefully. Minjun’s muscles tense under the touch. “One more scar to add to your collection. Something to remember me by when your contract ends,” he simpers.

“I don’t need a scar to remember you.” Minjun says with a half-grin, staring at Junho’s reflection in the mirror.

“Is that so?” Junho gulps, trying to play it cool even though that line touched him more than he’d like to admit. He starts wrapping the bandage around Minjun’s arm. “I’m honoured.” Minjun snorts at that and Junho finishes treating his arm.

“Do you have any scars?” Minjun asks when Junho takes the pain-relief ointment tube and walks behind him.

“You saw me only in my underwear a couple of times and didn’t notice?” Junho looks over Minjun’s shoulder, amused.

“I was looking at your face.”

“How courteous.” Junho lets out a laugh, simultaneously feeling somewhat pleasantly surprised. No, but really, why is he surprised? Junho’s his client, so of course Minjun wouldn’t ogle at him casually. 

Junho also realises he doesn’t know about the bodyguard’s sexual preferences. That might be a problem... Is he straight, is he gay, is he bisexual or something else? He has never exposed that side of him; he always gives abstract answers, maintaining his ambiguous front, so Junho has no clue if he has any chance with this man to begin with. He furrows his eyebrows, putting some gel on his fingers and starting to rub it into Minjun’s purple-dappled skin. His realisation sinks in deeper.

He has no clue if he even has a chance with Minjun.

_Fuck._

Junho bites on his lower lip, feeling the heat coming off Minjun’s body, gently pressing against the bruised skin. This physical contact might be the closest to what could be considered an intimate moment between them. Well, the hug from the other night, too.

Being bisexual himself, Junho completely forgot that not everyone is fluid like him. But like with the artwork he discovered at Minjun’s flat, maybe the bodyguard has something else hidden inside him? Junho exhales shakily, overwhelmed by the uncertainty. Not knowing Minjun’s sexuality isn’t the only problem. The fact that he is a very professional man and takes his duties seriously seems to put having an intimate relationship with a client at odds with his work ethics, code of honour, or something along those lines.

“Junho?” 

The engineer’s head snaps, staring at Minjun’s reflection. “Huh?”

“You stopped.”

“Oh.” Damn. He didn’t realise. “I think I’m falling asleep.” He chuckles, playing it cool, but there’s a hint of suspicion in Minjun’s eyes and Junho takes a step away, closing the lid of the small tube. “I have a scar on my right shin.” Junho bends and rolls up the fabric of his sweatpants. There’s a long, white, faded vertical scar below his knee. “I loved playing football. When I was 12 years old, I slipped and fell. Broke my shinbone in an open fracture. Had a surgery and a very long and boring rehab. After that, dad banned me from playing football, so I switched my interest from football to technology instead.” He sighs, thinking what his life would be like if that physical trauma hadn’t happened. One small moment can cause a massive ripple in the current and change everything—the butterfly effect.

“You never know what might happen and how the consequences will change your life. Makes one think about the butterfly effect, huh?” Minjun says, leaning back on the counter. Junho laughs, making the bodyguard raise his eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

“I just had the same thought. Get out of my head.” Junho closes the medical supply box.

“Then stop transmitting ideas into my head.” Minjun points his index finger to his temple and smiles.

“I thought your firewall was better.” 

Minjun chuckles, holding onto the edge of the counter. “I suppose fatigue makes it easier to bypass it.”

“Thanks for revealing that.” Junho tilts his head, grinning a little. “Listen, let’s sleep in tomorrow. We deserve that. I’m thinking we could go to work at 10AM. It’s Friday, not much happening, and Khun’s there anyway.”

“If you say so.” Minjun rubs his collarbone lazily, and Junho can see he appreciates that decision.

“Oh, almost took it with me.” Junho opens the box again and takes out the tube with the pain relief ointment in it. He gives it to Minjun. “Use that. I’ll leave the box with you, too.”

“Okay.” He leans in and takes the tube from Junho. “Are you going to sleep?”

“Yeah. If you want to eat anything, the fridge is all yours, Roomie.” 

“Got it.” Minjun nods and smiles. “Sleep well.”

“You too. Good night.” It’s so weird to have someone to say _‘good night’_ to. It’s always just Junho at the end of the day. But a butterfly flapped its wings and here they are, under the same roof for god knows how long. This time, Junho is full of anticipation. 

+

They’re on their knees, shoulder to shoulder. Junho weeps, seeing blood dripping from Minjun’s neck. He yells to stop, tears streaming down his face, but the masked men laugh at him and slash Minjun’s skin deeper, kicking his stomach until the latter slumps to the floor.

Junho’s heart is racing. He screams for mercy, but it’s his turn to suffer, just staring at Minjun’s convulsing dying body, wishing they’d never met because that would mean Minjun wouldn’t have had to go through this. He wouldn’t die for Junho, trying to protect him.

Junho’s body absorbs punches, his hearing absorbs mockery and curses. A sharp knife cuts into his chest and the assailant carves a snake down to Junho’s navel, making him howl more. Junho wants this to end. He wants to join Minjun, no matter where he is now, because feeling nothing would be better than this. To stop existing in this terrible reality.

Junho continues his tortured screaming until someone shakes his shoulders and his eyes snap open, the moonlight entering his distorted vision.

Minjun is leaning over him, one hand on Junho’s neck, the other on his shoulder. Junho can feel damp on his eyes and cheeks, and it dawns on him that he must’ve been not only screaming but also crying while experiencing this hellish nightmare.

He feels like his heart is still on a treadmill: his breathing is rapid and heavy, sweat all over his body. He’s sure there’s panic in his eyes too, because the concern on Minjun’s face, the furrowed eyebrows and tight lips, reveal exactly that.

Junho grabs onto Minjun’s wrists, all panicky and terrified.

“I’m here.” Minjun says, his tone reassuring, and Junho breathes deeper, trying to remember how to breathe properly. Junho sits up abruptly and presses his forehead to Minjun’s right shoulder, his fingers clenching the duvet covering his thighs. He just cannot get his breathing right.

Minjun pushes at Junho’s shoulders gently and looks at his face, a deep crease between his eyebrows as he places his palm above Junho’s sternum, feeling his raging heartbeat.

“You have to take a short breath in and exhale twice as long. Follow me.” Junho nods and looks at Minjun’s eyes as he inhales sharply and takes his time exhaling. “Like this.” Junho nods and repeats the action with Minjun guiding him through the process.

No doubt that Minjun’s presence is calming. His warm hand on Junho’s chest creates a pocket of heat between them, and Junho focuses on that as he breathes slowly, trying to stabilize his heartbeat.

After a while, Minjun pulls back his hand from Junho’s sweaty body, seemingly content with the result. Junho leans back onto the headboard, his knees bent and his hands rubbing at his wet eyes. If it were anyone else, he’d be embarrassed, but with this man, it’s different. Junho senses Minjun must’ve gone through similar experiences, which is why he knows how to deal with challenging situations like this, and he doesn’t look uncomfortable doing it. Junho simply knows he can confide in him because there’s so much understanding behind those dark eyes, Junho can’t even begin measuring it.

“What time is it?” Junho croaks weakly.

“Around 2AM.” Junho exhales tiredly. It’s been 24 hours since the attack. 

When he went to sleep, he was under the illusion that being exhausted would help him sleep away all the bad memories. He was so wrong; it all came back to him tenfold. Fuck. Is this how it’s going to be every night from now on? He will go crazy if that’s the case. “Talk to me.” Minjun’s voice drags him out of the darkness. Junho sighs, hugging his knees loosely.

“They tortured us. You died. They carved a snake on my body, and before they could kill me, you woke me up.” He says, looking away through the window, seeing the trees in the yard sway lightly. “Minjun, how do you deal with all of that?” Junho glances back at him. “You must have gone through a lot worse. Countless nightmares.”

Minjun licks his lips and sighs, straightening his back and resting his hands in his lap, one leg crossed on the bed, the other touching the carpeted floor. The white fabric of his tank-top reflects some of the moonlight onto his face, revealing the inner debate going on behind his averted gaze.

“You learn how to stop feeling, how to numb it all.” His smooth voice has a certain coldness to it, probably stemming from his own experiences. “I don’t want to look like I’m riding a high horse here or that I’m proud of what I’ve done or am looking for pity, because I’m not, and trust me, it probably will sound cruel, but when you have to kill people on your superior’s orders, you kind of get used to it. 

“At first, I had nightmares, seeing the faces of all the people I had to kill. I tried to justify it, like, I was just acting according to the orders for the greater good, but after a while I became immune to all the cruel things I saw and did. I got this hard shell around me… But I was starting to feel hollow. Like I was just a tool in all of this. I felt like I was dehumanized. No one cared about how I felt, what kind of nightmares I had, because the people around me were just the same. We were all in the same boat of hopelessness, some on the deck, some below.” Minjun stops briefly and looks at Junho, regret visible in his dimly lit features. 

“I decided I’d be done with the Special Forces and military in general after one last mission. On the day I was supposed to quit, we got an order to capture this man who traffics explosives to the country. I told myself, _‘Hey, I can still do this last task, doesn’t sound that hard’_ , but that’s when I almost died.”

“So, how do I deal with all of that?” Minjun stares at his own hands. “I accept it. I can’t change what happened, but I can change how I view it, reflect on what it taught me. Junho, it will stay with you, but you must learn to live with it. It’s best to just accept it. The wound will heal, but the scar will remain. It’s up to us how often we choose to see what’s behind the scar and let it affect us. There will be a day when you’ll stop paying attention to the scar and just live with it. That’s what my therapist told me.” Minjun smiles a little, staring at Junho. “And it’s important to have someone to talk to. Don’t bury it, because only more nightmares will come.”

Junho crosses his legs and leans in, still feeling the chills from Minjun’s confession. He opened up, guiding Junho through the darkest memories, making so many missing details fall into place simply by allowing him to bypass the firewall.

“And now, do you feel more human than before?”

“I do, but I still have a long way to go. I still have certain fears and things I’m not yet ready to confront, but slowly, I’m getting there. Someday, I’ll be more than just a faulty AI pretending to be human.” His analogy makes Junho smile.

“There will come a day when you won’t be able to tell the difference between an AI and a human being.” Junho states quietly. “You change one thing in an AI’s code and it might become a completely different entity. Humans have that ability, too. I guess I just have to find my bug and fix it.”

“That’s a great start.” Minjun draws a pensive smile out of Junho.

“Can you stay with me until I fall back asleep?” Junho knits his eyebrows, hoping for a positive answer despite the rather selfish request when both of them are tired. He already knows Minjun might have to do something with that bug, because his presence is what puts him at ease, and the closer he is, the better. Being able to talk openly to him like this appears to have healing qualities, and Junho believes it can make the nightmares go away completely, or if not, then at least make them less intense. Like Minjun said, it will take time.

“Sure.” Minjun pats Junho’s knee and the engineer lies down, pulling the duvet over his shoulders. With Minjun watching over him, Junho slowly descends into sleep.

The rest of the night passes without nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love reading your comments and theories, so don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts ^^


	7. Imagination

A couple of weeks have passed since the gruesome night in Singapore. It’s the end of spring and the weather is gradually getting hotter, reminding Junho of how much he misses going for a simple walk with no care in the world. His nightmares and paranoia have been getting better, but going to public places was still making him feel somewhat more alert than usual, thinking _what-if_. Junho knew he had more guards watching over him from a distance, but the real reason he could feel more relaxed was the presence of his personal bodyguard, who diligently scanned their surroundings. Minjun was like a bat using echolocation to avoid objects, or in this case, threats in the shape of human beings. Minjun also wore an earpiece to communicate more comfortably with the guards following them around: a new addition to the list of gadgets to ensure his client’s safety while in public places.

As for living in the same house, Junho found it enlightening and exciting. During the time spent together behind safe walls, Junho could discover more things about his bodyguard. For instance, Minjun hates bugs, especially with the weather getting hotter and more of them finding their way into the house. Him trying to fight them off never fails to amuse Junho. Additionally, Minjun excels in cooking food in general, not only the hangover soup. According to him, maintaining his diet is important so his body can keep up with everything that his job and life throw at him. He also spends a lot of time in Junho’s gym, bulking up and maintaining his slim yet muscular figure; again, his purpose is not to impress someone, but to stay fit for his duties. Junho guesses he got that work ethic and morale from the military days. Despite living in the same house, Junho never joined Minjun in the gym because he was sure he couldn’t keep his eyes off him, all sweaty and breathing heavily. Junho thought sneaking glances would suffice, but the need to be close to Minjun was becoming a problem. He was starting to turn into a hopeless middle-aged housewife, thirsting after the handsome and twice-as-young pool boy.

Minjun turned out to be quite a touchy-feely person when he got more comfortable around Junho and Nichkhun; even with some of Junho’s employees who’d talk to the bodyguard occasionally and try to cure his boredom while Junho was too immersed in his job. Minjun would always squeeze a shoulder or pat an arm, expressing his affection or agreement through touch. So, it wasn’t just Jackson, which made Junho quite satisfied (Jackson would pop up from time to time to give Minjun something to sign). 

However, Junho wanted more. If Minjun passed by him and lightly touched Junho’s back, Junho would imagine that hand slipping lower towards his butt. If Minjun leaned in and told him something, Junho would imagine closing the gap with a passionate kiss. If Minjun draped an arm over his shoulders and laughed at something with Junho, he could imagine it leading to a steamy make-out session. A reassuring pat on Junho’s chest would lead Junho to imagine catching his hand and licking his fingers while staring him straight in the eyes. If Minjun touched Junho’s knee, Junho would imagine that hand sliding up his thigh. When Minjun came behind him and leaned over his shoulder to look at whatever Junho was looking at, Junho could imagine Minjun pressing against his body, his hands in Junho’s pants.

The worst was when Minjun would look at Junho with a warm and understanding gaze after he recounted yet another nightmare; he would not touch Junho at all, but his eyes looked solely at Junho, taking in every word that escaped his mouth like it really mattered and nothing else was important at the moment. It was the worst because Junho could imagine them just _being_ together, Minjun’s hand on his neck, his thumb brushing against the junction of Junho’s jaw; Minjun would give him that insightful look, inaudibly telling him he’s here for good and that whatever Junho is feeling is reciprocated. Junho craved that vulnerable intimacy like oxygen. Being through so much together, Junho felt like he could put his trust in this man.

So, yeah, his feelings were starting to become a problem, forcing his imagination come up with things he knew he wouldn’t get. Minjun was simply that kind of person: caring. He’d see Minjun talking to Jackson with the same intensity in his eyes, and he’d get jealous (he hated that he felt this stupid and immature emotion) because he wanted to be unique in his eyes, exceptional. Jackson had a special bond with him, that much was obvious. Junho wished his bond with Minjun would transcend a simple client–bodyguard one, and he felt like they were getting there; little by little, they were starting to become friends of some sort. 

However, Junho had legitimate doubts about taking this entire thing to a whole other level: Minjun still had an invisible line between them. Even when they’d joke around, Minjun wouldn’t get too personal, keeping his professional side at bay. Would that ever change? Junho didn’t know. The only time Minjun really opened up was the first night Junho had a nightmare. After that, Minjun would just listen to Junho and offer advice or comfort without shedding any light on his own experiences. Maybe he was having his own doubts about letting Junho in? After all, it happened spontaneously when Junho looked completely broken — something had to be done about that in the moment, so Minjun did. 

Enough overthinking.

Junho walks downstairs, dressed lightly in grey jeans and a pale blue t-shirt, since the weather forecast promised an unusually hot day. He doesn’t find Minjun in either the kitchen or the living room. He goes outside and shields his eyes from the harsh sun rays immediately. Just then he notices his bodyguard fixing an earpiece, dressed in a white well-fitted t-shirt accompanied by the good old gun holster on his shoulders with two guns on each side of his ribs. He’s wearing black pants and shoes, finishing his semiprofessional attire with a pair of black Ray-Bans on top of his nose and his hair pushed back, as usual. Junho gulps because this look today is a generous feast for his hungry eyes. He composes himself and walks over to the man oblivious to the effect he was having on Junho.

“Hey, what are you doing outside?” Minjun glances at him. They’d usually leave the house together.

“Changmin had some urgent matters to attend to and wanted to change his schedule, so we did that,” Minjun nods at the guard about to leave.

“Oh, I thought you were going to do a photoshoot or something, looking all snazzy.” Junho gives Minjun a quick once over, smiling impishly. 

“What’s snazzy about this outfit? You keep bugging me about the way I dress. Do you want me to wear a potato sack?” He grins as he leans on the hood of the car with one hand, crossing his feet. Well, shit, maybe he should’ve kept it to himself.

“Don’t take that the wrong way, I was just giving you a compliment.” Minjun’s eyebrow rises above the frame of his sunglasses. “A potato sack could be an interesting choice, though. Breezy.” Junho laughs, absorbing Minjun’s smile, which then drops as something crosses the bodyguard’s mind.

“Oh, right, I got a call from Jackson earlier. He wants me to sign something before lunch time, but he has activities and can’t come to see me. Could we go to the headquarters first?”

That should be interesting. Junho hasn’t had the chance to go to their company yet. “Sure, I’d love to see the place where you spawn your guards.” Minjun chuckles lightly. “Can we hop to a coffee shop first, though?”

“Sure.” Minjun pats Junho’s shoulder and they leave.

 

+

 

They walk closely through the crowd until they reach the coffee shop Junho likes so much. “What’s up with all the people?” he asks Minjun once they’re inside the shop.

“I heard there’s a protest happening. People are not happy about some politicians and their corruption scandals.”

“I wonder if they have anything to do with the Serpent.” 

“Maybe.” Minjun shrugs and takes off his sunglasses, hanging them on the hem of his t-shirt. Junho places his order quickly and they glance at the view outside, more people gathering in the boulevard. “I wonder if we will be able to walk through that,” concern clear on Minjun’s face as he contemplates aloud.

Junho takes his coffee and sips it immediately, enjoying the hot liquid. “They’re multiplying quickly. I should’ve chosen another place.”

“You didn’t know.” Minjun glances at him, smiling. He can be so indulgent sometimes, justifying Junho’s choices.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

As they exit the coffee shop and walk straight between the tables, the engineer hears a familiar voice calling him. “Junho! Long time no see!” He stops and turns around, seeing Kwon making his way towards him; he must’ve been occupying one of the tables a bit further away. Junho smiles back at him and they hug each other briefly.

“Hey, are you here for the protest?” The engineer smirks, perfectly knowing Kwon would never take part in something that requires pushing around, screaming, and being angry. He’d rather sip wine on his bed, wrapped in a silk robe.

“Honey, my life consists of two things: fun and more fun. This,” he glances at the people carrying placards, “is no fun.” Junho laughs at him, Kwon’s flamboyant personality as amusing as always. Suddenly, Kwon slaps Junho’s arm. “Where the hell have you been? Haven’t seen you for, like, three months!”

“I’m just busy.”

“Really? No time for me and Anna?” Junho smiles at him apologetically. With Minjun behind him, he has to be careful not to say too much. He doesn’t want want to tarnish his already questionable reputation regarding his sex life.

“Sorry, I have other things on my mind. I’m sure you’ve heard the news about the assault. Some newspapers covered it.” Junho exhales heavily and receives a sympathetic look from his friend.

“Yeah, I saw the articles.” He rubs Junho’s arm. “Even more so, you need a certain type of relaxation.” Kwon grins suggestively.

“Kwon, just let it go.” If there’s a person who can add two and two, even if it’s not obvious, it’s Kwon. He sighs, staring at Junho intensely. He leans closer so the bodyguard wouldn’t hear him.

“Don’t tell me you have _someone_ on your mind,” he whispers with a wicked look.

“I won’t tell you anything,” Junho hisses. Kwon has this annoying sly smile on his face. He’s clearly up to no good. Just give him a reason to be playful and he will go out of his way to exaggerate the situation.

“Very well.” He takes a step back, walks around Junho, and stops in front of Minjun, who has his hands in his pockets, his gaze scanning the crowd. “Hey, darling, my offer still stands.” Minjun looks at him, slightly puzzled.

“What offer?”

Kwon’s jaw drops dramatically, faking offence. “Wow, you’re cold-hearted. I was talking about you guarding my body. As in, having fun adult-style.” Kwon crosses his arms on his chest; however, Minjun doesn’t look swayed by the coquettish act.

“Not interested.” He states simply and Junho feels sort of relieved.

“Don’t tell me you’re unconditionally straight?” Junho’s interest suddenly piques and his hold around the cup tightens. The question that’s been bugging him for so long… Can Kwon crack the mystery just like that?

“I don’t discuss my private life with people I barely know.” Minjun returns his strict gaze to the crowd, and Junho can feel disappointment grow inside of him. 

“Would you tell Junho?” Kwon’s provocation brings Minjun’s eyes back to him, his expression indescribable. Junho is suddenly very self-conscious. 

“I’m done playing your games.” Junho feels a shiver run down his spine; Minjun really can be cold when he wants to. Kwon crossed the line Junho would never dare to and that’s the end result. Minjun remains a mystery, unfortunately.

“Hmm…” Kwon licks his lips. “Maybe you’d like a threesome? Maybe that’s your thing?” At this point Junho can only admire Kwon’s persistence. Junho would have already evaporated if it were him doing the awkward questioning.

Then, it clicks. Why is Kwon so persistent? Could it be... Is he doing this for Junho? He gulps. Does Kwon suspect something? If so, Junho needs to do a better job at hiding his feelings. He’d never surpass Minjun’s level, though. He’s like a goddamn rock.

To Junho’s surprise, Minjun smirks and tilts his head slightly, giving an extremely ambiguous look to Kwon. “I don’t like sharing.” Junho’s ears feel numb all of a sudden, a trail of icy prickling trickling down his neck and chest. Kwon actually managed to get something out of him, Minjun’s words almost knocking Junho over. He can cross _‘asexual’_ from the list.

“I see.” Kwon holds his gaze for a while and then turns around, walking towards Junho with a nonchalant expression. Then he pulls Junho close and whispers into his ear. “You chose a tough nut, sweetie.” Junho’s nostrils flare.

“I’ll kill you if you tell anyone.” He hisses into Kwon’s ear, glancing at Minjun who’s too preoccupied with watching their surroundings. “He’s not into me anyway. That’s obvious.”

Kwon pulls back a little, staring at Junho wide-eyed, like he has just been told he’s about to be banished to the moon. “Honey,” he leans in to continue the discreet whispering. “The first time I saw him and now… The way he’s looking at you… There’s a huge difference. I have a good eye for things like this. He might have some personal issues he doesn’t want to reveal, or maybe he’s too keen on keeping it professional between you two, but he’s definitely feeling more than he lets on. It’s the tiny microexpressions and movements you have to look at. I’m an expert in body language, don’t forget that.” Kwon winks, satisfied with Junho’s dubious expression. Despite usually being flirtatious and flamboyant, Kwon can be serious, too. He majored in psychology, after all. His word must mean something, and Junho feels himself grasping at that straw. He so wants Kwon to be right, but even if he’s right, how the hell is he supposed to get through to Minjun without ruining the nice warm relationship they have now? He doesn’t want to ruin this. “Hey, bodyguard,” Kwon regains Minjun’s attention and smiles. “Take good care of my gorgeous boy here. We don’t want him hurt and sad.” Kwon grabs a handful of Junho’s butt and leans in, giving him a very sloppy good-bye kiss.

Junho feels his ears burn and he pulls back immediately, looking at Minjun’s face. Then, he sees it. That tiny crease between his eyebrows that disappears as soon as Minjun catches Junho’s gaze. His heartbeat quickens, thinking about Kwon’s words. If he read this correctly, Minjun looked…irritated? Was it because of what Kwon has done? Because he obviously did it on purpose, wanting to show Junho what he was talking about. But can Junho believe this? What exactly was Minjun irritated about? There could be many things hiding behind that expression. Junho doesn’t want to jump to the wrong conclusions, as Kwon’s words spread in him like poison. Yet, he wants it to be true with all of his oversized heart. Junho will have to look at Minjun more carefully from now on.

“What the hell, man?” Junho shrieks belatedly and Kwon just chuckles at him.

“You’re welcome.” Kwon winks and walks away. “You know you can call me anytime. Not just for sex.” His mischievous grin makes Junho shut his lips tight. Then, he disappears into the crowd.

“I’m not sure if I should help you or not in a situation like this.” Minjun comes closer to Junho, the latter chugs the coffee like water, looking at his bodyguard’s curious face. His concern is endearing, whether purely professional or not. Junho throws the cup into the trash bin and exhales, wiping his lips.

“Kwon is just fooling around.” Junho picks at his jeans, still slightly uncomfortable. If Kwon was supposed to bring some clarity to this situation, it created only more turmoil within the engineer’s already overheated brain. Sure, Kwon’s good at reading people, but he also might be wrong—that possibility still exists. Junho hates uncertainty and he sure doesn’t want to have false hopes; there’s nothing like disappointing yourself with those.

Minjun takes a look at his watch. “We should get going.”

“Okay.”

They step into the crowd, which had multiplied immensely during Kwon’s little show. Junho can see the anger in protesters’ faces; they’re not here to fool around for sure. Being surrounded by so many people is a little suffocating; Junho is not too fond of big crowds. Minjun’s arm circles around Junho’s shoulders as they start getting pushed around a little, and Junho scoots closer to the bodyguard, following his lead.

They’re forced to slow down, people yelling around them seem to not care about anything but their agenda. Junho huffs when someone almost hits him in the face, and Minjun blocks the offending arm, exchanging cold glances with the angry man. Once the man sees Minjun’s guns, he backs off slightly and lets them pass. This is a goddamn human mincer.

“I fucking hate this.” Junho exclaims, gritting his teeth.

“Let’s go over there and wait a little, maybe the crowd will thin out soon.” Minjun nods at the building nearby with some free space near the walls and a handrail.

Minjun’s grip is tight on Junho’s shoulders as he walks behind him, lightly pushing him towards the wall. It’s already hot today, even with the clouds that showed up unexpectedly like Kwon, but having Minjun so close from behind doesn’t help. Junho feels a thin, misty layer of sweat forming on his face.

Finally, they reach the wall. There’s an iron railing on one side, separating them from the stairs leading to a shop in the basement. They choose that small corner to wait it out, so Junho turns around and presses his back to the wall, while Minjun stands right in front of him, barely any distance left between them. Junho swallows, completely self-aware. His need to touch Minjun is growing not by days, but by seconds.

Minjun looks away and presses his index finger on the earpiece, scanning the area.

“Can you see us?” he asks, and the answer must be negative because he frowns a little. “Come and find us, we’re in a tight situation here.”

 _No shit, tight_. Junho almost snorts.

As Minjun finishes talking, someone pushes him and he crashes into Junho, both palms right beside Junho’s ears. Simultaneously, the engineer’s hands instinctively latch onto Minjun’s waist, steadying him as Minjun looks back to see if that was intentional and if there’s any real threat. It appears to be just a random angry and a very unaware protester, so Minjun turns his head back to Junho—the distance between their faces is ridiculously tiny. Junho can feel Minjun’s breath on his skin, and if Junho would lean in a little, he’d be kissing the bodyguard. This scenario feels like one from his wild imagination; however, the warm breath on his lips warns him this is all too real.

Minjun’s body feels hot, so hot Junho doesn’t know if it’s the healthy type of hot. Or maybe it’s his own body that’s emitting the heat. He doesn’t understand anymore; it’s all entangled. Either way, he’s more taken aback by the fact that Minjun was glancing at his lips, even if for a fleeting second. Was that an accident or a subconscious micromovement Kwon was talking about earlier? 

Junho’s soul almost leaves his body when someone pushes Minjun again, and this time, he barely misses Junho’s lips, turning away in time so his right cheek brushes against Junho’s. He’s like goddamn human plastic wrap attached around Junho’s body, his forearms pressed to the wall with Junho breathing right into his ear. Junho clutches Minjun’s shirt around his waist tighter, totally abusing the position they’re in under the pretence of holding the bodyguard’s weight. The way Minjun exhales heavily onto Junho’s neck raises all the hair on Junho’s body and he feels like he’s about to melt and die in the most contented way possible.

There’s a certain type of stirring in his groin, and a huge imaginary _STOP_ sign appears before his eyes; he can feel Minjun’s thigh right against his most private area and he feels panic setting in. Junho needs to abort this situation they’re in because there’s no way in hell he’s going to be exposed like this because some angry idiots are pushing around without any care in the world. Even if he craves to be close to Minjun like a desperate beggar, there has to be a right time and right place for this, and this isn’t it.

“Are they fucking blind, pushing around like this?!” Junho growls and pushes at Minjun’s chest lightly, the latter wearing his regular zen-like expression. There’s a hint of dissatisfaction though and Junho doesn’t know what exactly Minjun’s not too happy about. The crowd? Junho pushing him away? (That one stings a little because god knows Junho would rather stay in this position, but not now and not when he doesn’t have it all figured out.) His men taking too much time to find them? So many questions and zero answers.

Minjun turns around so Junho is facing his back, and the bodyguard glares at everyone who tries to go on with their wild behaviour nearby. That and the obvious display of his guns seem to do the trick because people keep their distance from them. Junho sighs in relief as he has time to collect himself and push away the intrusive thoughts regarding his bodyguard and the tight situation they were in seconds ago.

Soon, Minjun’s men find them and Junho is escorted out of the human mincer, Kwon’s words still lingering in his mind.

 

+

 

They enter the hallway with the reception desk at the front. There’s a huge dark signboard with white letters lit by LED lights.

**S.W.A.G.**

“Swag?” Junho glances at Minjun, a playful grin on his face.

“ _Security. Weaponry. Assessments. Guardsmen._ ” Minjun dissects the acronym. “Jackson thought that acronym would be hilarious.”

“And you approved?”

“It’s funny, isn’t it?” Minjun smirks at his client.

“I thought you’d take yourselves more seriously.” He chuckles. It’s creative.

“Most of our clients are not familiar with the word, so it looks cool to them.”

“Well, it definitely works.” Junho nods, staring at Minjun’s satisfied expression.

“DSMN Robotics. Never asked what’s the meaning behind your acronym.” Minjun turns to him a little more.

“ _Don’t Stop Me Now._ ” Junho explains proudly.

“That does sound like you.” Minjun grins whimsically and Junho is content with the reaction. “Wait here, I’m going to ask where Jackson is exactly.”

Minjun walks over to the receptionist while Junho looks around the metallic grey space, the colour giving the place a futuristic vibe. He flinches when he hears gunshots, the memories from Singapore rushing back quickly; he looks to his immediate right, noticing a door leading to a shooting range. Junho makes his way towards the see-through door and notices ten shooting booths, two of them occupied.

“Have you ever tried shooting a gun?” Minjun’s voice startles him a little.

He glances at Minjun. “No.”

“Would you like to try?”

“Sure, why not?” Minjun smiles back at him and opens the door.

There’s a girl behind the counter whose eyes light up when she sees Minjun. “Wow, what a sight for my sore eyes!” She runs around the counter and gives Minjun a warm hug, the latter smiling at her, rubbing her back in return.

“It’s nice to see you too, Min.” He pulls back and glances at his client. “This is Junho.”

“Ah, the one who stole one of our bosses!” She extends her hand and Junho shakes it, smiling. This one looks as lively as Jackson. Is this how Minjun picks people to work with? Puppy-like personas are his thing? Junho’s nothing like that.

“Guilty as charged,” Junho says, and Min chuckles at him. She’s cute with her short messy bob haircut.

“We’ll need one semiautomatic handgun.” Minjun says and Min nods, walking around the counter and picking out the requested gun.

“Fully loaded.” She says as Minjun takes the gun from her and inspects it.

“Thanks.” He nods slightly and takes Junho to an empty booth. He touches Junho’s shoulders and moves him more to the middle. “What do you know about guns?”

“Nothing.” Junho shrugs as Minjun hands him protective glasses and ear mufflers.

“Okay, take the gun and assume your position.” Minjun watches him as Junho stands straight with his right arm extended towards the human-shaped target. He hears Minjun snicker, hiding it behind the back of his palm.

“What?”

“You look like you’re about to stab someone.” Minjun chuckles and Junho rolls his eyes. He didn’t come here to be disrespected.

“Sure, make fun of me,” he grunts.

Minjun looks at him slightly apologetically. “It was just an observation, didn’t mean to make fun of you. Here, let me teach you properly.” His demeanour changes, clearly trying to get on Junho’s good side. It works.

“Go ahead, sensei.” Minjun snorts in response, coming closer.

“First, don’t be so uptight. Make your knees softer.” Minjun places his hands on Junho’s hips and kicks the insides of his feet. “Your stance has to be a little wider.” Minjun is behind Junho, his fingers now on the engineer’s shoulders; he pushes the engineer’s upper body slightly forward. “Square your shoulders.” Then, Minjun circles his arms around Junho and touches his right elbow, the arm that holds the gun, and bends it slightly, his breath ghosting over the engineer’s ear and neck. “This is your dominant hand. Use both hands for a stable grip. Lift your left arm and use your left hand to hold the bottom part of the grip.” Minjun’s hands touch Junho’s and the latter gulps, trying his best to focus on the lesson, but being in the bodyguard’s unintentional embrace with him touching Junho’s fingers and moving them into the right places—it’s really fucking hard. It’s almost torture.

Junho licks his lips nervously as Minjun walks to his right side and gives him a quick once over, approving of his posture. He leans closer, pointing at small round objects on top of the gun. “Keep your eye focused on the front sight and make sure you’re on the target.” “Are you ready?” He looks at Junho’s composed profile.

“Yeah,” Junho says, and Minjun puts ear mufflers on top of Junho’s ears and does the same for himself.

The bodyguard pats Junho’s back. “Okay. Fire.”

Junho breathes in, finds his target, and shoots, the sound and recoil shaking him a little. He then notices he hit the left side of the target’s stomach. “Well, I suck.”

Minjun chuckles as he removes his mufflers. “Don’t be an overachiever. It’s very good for your first try. Some people can’t even hit the body.” He squeezes Junho’s left shoulder encouragingly.

“So, that second gun in your holster is reserved for me from now on?” Junho smirks.

“I’ll think about that.” There’s a teasing smile on the bodyguard’s face. “Come on, we need to find Jackson.”

 

+

 

They enter a huge training facility with all sorts of equipment: from treadmills to wooden swords. A group of men are in front of a large blue mat, all of them dressed in the same dark sports attire with the company’s logo on the chest. Jackson is standing in front of them, wearing a dark blue sporty outfit with a bigger logo of S.W.A.G. than the rest. He is explaining something about close range combat, but when he notices Minjun, his serious demeanour crumbles.

“Here’s the real pro, guys. Would you mind showing your skills to our trainees?” He glances at Junho. “Hey, Junho!”

“Hey.” Junho waves, one hand in his pocket.

“Do I have to?” Minjun asks as Jackson walks to him.

“You must.” Jackson grins. Minjun sighs and takes off his shoes. He then removes the holster and looks at Junho. 

“Can you hold this?”

“Sure.” Junho takes it, getting excited about whatever is going to happen.

Minjun and Jackson walk to the middle of the mat, getting into their positions. They both look graceful but strong. “Don’t go easy on me,” Jackson warns him and Junho remembers the injury that forced Jackson drop fencing professionally. Can he really be an opponent to Minjun?

They exchange quick hits here and there, some nice defence on both sides. Junho doesn’t know much about martial arts, but looking at them fight is mesmerising. They move like cats, quick and precise, their feet always finding the right spot to land. However, Minjun looks like he’s deliberately slower and his moves contain less power. It doesn’t take long before Jackson finally manages to make him fall and lands on top of the bodyguard.

“That’s not fair.” Jackson says, giving him a pensive smile.

“What? You won.” Minjun answers with a playful grin.

“Yeah, right. I told you not to go easy on me.” Jackson stands up and offers Minjun his hand, staring at the impressed crowd. “This is why you don’t fight a man like him: he’s too damn considerate to hit my allegedly crippled body.” Jackson grins as Minjun stands up and scowls at him, shaking his head at the younger business partner. “Your enemy won’t be so lenient.” Jackson winks and the men nod in agreement.

Minjun takes the holster from Junho and puts it back on. Then, they hear someone applauding from behind. “I wish I could see you fight in full power. Either way, it was beautiful.” They turn around and Junho’s stomach twists at the sight of his enemy number one. Chansung stops right in front of them, hands in his pockets. To say Junho is shocked to see him here would be an understatement. How the hell did this asshole find them here? What does he want?

“Are you fucking stalking me?” Junho asks curtly.

“Listen, you’re very attractive, but I’m not that desperate.” Chansung’s smug grin makes Junho’s blood boil. “I’m here to steal your bodyguard. My boss wanted to know if it’s possible to hire either him or someone else from this company. He cares for his safety, too, you know. Since there are a lot of rivals in this field, he wants the best of the best to watch over him.”

“If only he’d play fair and not send his sex toys to steal things from others, maybe he wouldn’t have any enemies.” Junho bites back.

“Oh, Junho…” Chansung steps closer, his smirk as annoying as ever. “You will never get over me, will you? We could meet up, you know…if you’re so damn thirsty to ride my dick again.”

Junho doesn’t even think before he moves — his right fist connects with Chansung’s jaw, forcing the latter to take a couple steps back to steady himself. Chansung’s eyes are burning; he didn’t expect Junho to actually physically retaliate. Junho himself didn’t even know he had it in him, but there he is, his hand is throbbing painfully, satisfied he managed to land a solid punch on the despicable motherfucker’s face. He grins triumphantly…

Until Chansung decides to answer with his own fist, reminding Junho that this man can actually inflict serious damage with all his taekwondo knowledge and skill. However, before Chansung’s fist can touch Junho’s unprepared face, Minjun gets between them and grabs the taller man’s arm. Junho doesn’t even register the actual movement, but the outcome looks like this: with the help of Minjun’s left hand Chansung’s face is pressed to the floor, his right arm bent behind his back and held down by Minjun’s right one, the bodyguard’s left knee pressing into the small of Chansung’s back. Chansung gapes like a fish, completely powerless against Minjun’s rough grasp.

Minjun bends down closer to Chansung’s ear, his voice icy and menacing. He looks like someone else, emotionally detached. “You will never bother Junho again. You will never bother me again. You will never set foot in this building again. You will forget about your cunning plans regarding us... And you will carry your fragile narcissistic ego far away from here, because the only protection you need is protection from yourself. Are we clear?” Chansung huffs, not used to this level of humiliation, so Minjun presses his knee harder and repeats. “I won’t ask twice.” This sinister side of Minjun is so raw, so threatening, Junho never knew he could look and sound like this. Is this how he used to be in the military? Is that what he’d look like when his feelings would go numb? Junho swallows hard. This thought is a lot to handle.

“We’re clear.” Chansung says finally, no hint of uncertainty in his voice. This daunting version of Minjun surely had the desired effect on him.

Minjun stands up and watches Chansung rise to his full height, eyes sharp on the bodyguard’s face, the air between them electrified. Chansung doesn’t even glance at Junho as he turns around and strides out of the room, defeated.

Jackson runs up to Minjun and touches his back, moving them so they face away from the intrigued eyes. Junho doesn’t hear what he’s saying to Minjun, but the latter nods with a small coy smile on his face. Jackson pats his back and nods too, the previous concern on his face gone. Minjun looks completely normal again.

Junho frowns. Is Jackson aware of Minjun’s dark past? He must be, judging by his quick reaction. Minjun wasn’t out of control, yet he slipped back into the old version of himself, using it to get the point across to Chansung.

Jackson claps his hands and gets the attention of the trainees back. “Alright, back to the lesson.” He glances at the engineer, smiling. “Bye, Junho.”

“Yeah, see you around.” Junho waves and follows Minjun out of the room.

They walk in silence until they reach Jackson’s office to find the documents Minjun is supposed to look through and sign. The room has two tables facing one another, one of which probably belongs to Minjun. There are various photos of trainees and other moments from the facility hung on the walls, a few certificates, medals, and awards on the shelves. Of course, there are books about sports, psychology, business management, and such. Junho lingers a little longer on the photo with Minjun teaching some guy martial arts: his knowledge must be invaluable to this company.

Minjun takes the papers off the table and leans back, half-sitting on the edge.

“How’s your hand?” He asks, scanning through the papers nonchalantly. It’s amazing how he can pretend everything’s just fine, like he hasn’t just made everyone feel fear.

“Sore.” Junho stands in front of him and Minjun puts the papers down, taking Junho’s hand in his fingers. Junho breathes out shakily, feeling how gentle Minjun’s movements are, his fingers tracing along his knuckles, bending Junho’s fingers to check for a deeper invisible trauma. “That menacing side you showed. Is this how you were in the military?”

Minjun’s fingers stop, staring at Junho’s hand in his. “Did it scare you?” He looks up at Junho’s concerned face.

“I would be lying if I said it’s not unsettling. It did make me feel uncomfortable, yes.”

“With people like Chansung, there’s no other way to get your point across unless it involves violence, either physical or mental. It’s not nice, I know. I’m sorry you had to see it. I just wanted him gone for good.”

“For my sake?”

Minjun looks away. “Yeah.” Junho cannot help but twist his hand so he holds Minjun’s hand in his, squeezing his palm and fingers. It makes Minjun look back at him, a barely visible confusion in his eyes.

“I appreciate it. I just wish you wouldn’t have to resort to going back to that dark place for my sake. It’s not good.” There’s an understanding smile tugging at the corner of the bodyguard’s lips and he squeezes Junho’s hand back, brushing his thumb over the sore knuckles, sending electricity through Junho’s skin.

“I know. Thanks for the concern. I’m good.” He looks at their hands, clasped tightly. “Doesn’t look like it’s broken or anything. Your right hook was impressive, though.” Junho snorts as Minjun pulls his hand away and picks up the papers again.

“Who knew? Never punched anybody.” He sits in the chair nearby.

“Let’s hope you won’t have to do it again.”

“Yeah.” Junho gazes at the bodyguard as the latter gets immersed in reading.

But seriously, how did Chansung sniff them out? The timing was impeccable. Junho knows the company he’s working for is actually really close to this building, but it would be too great of a coincidence for him to casually notice them through a window or something. Does he have someone watching the entrance of this building? And since he works for twisted people, could they have relations to the Serpent? Junho freezes at the thought. Is that possible?

“Minjun, doesn’t it seem weird how Chansung appeared out of thin air?” Minjun cocks his eyebrow, waiting for Junho to elaborate. “Since he works for people who’re willing to use corrupt tactics, isn’t it possible he might be a part of the Serpent clan? What if all of this is just a small part of the grand scheme? Screwing me over might be just a small cog in the huge machine. I mean, he knows who my father is.”

Minjun frowns. “That’s…a very good point. We need to tell your father.”

“Uh, about that…” Junho glances away, uncomfortable. That would mean revealing the thing that happened between him and Chansung. How fucking awkward would that be? His father knows Junho is bisexual, but he has never commented on it.

“I don’t want to pressure you, but…”

“I know.” Junho sighs deeply, leaning on the armrest and cradling his cheek in his palm. “It’s important.”

Minjun stares at him until Junho looks back; he will be damned because that undivided attention is here, making Junho melt internally. “It will be okay,” Minjun says softly. Junho bites on his thumb, nodding. There’s something heavy in the air, and only when Minjun looks back at the papers in his hands can Junho breathe more easily. 

Being close to Minjun is both suffocating and exhilarating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, don't forget to leave me a comment!  
> Also, if you want to leave me a tip for my writing, you can do it here: [Ko-fi](http://ko-fi.com/B0B19S7X)


	8. A Treasure

His father didn’t take the news about Chansung well. As in, he insisted on taking Chansung to court right away, but Junho was able to persuade the old man not to do that. His father acquiesced only because Junho didn’t want this story to go beyond the door of his dad’s office. His son’s wellbeing and inner peace were more important than pursuing a legal battle and bringing up some not so glorious details to the public; journalists can be cruel and biased, not to mention, bought, but people commenting under the articles and assuming things can be even worse. Mr. Lee didn’t want that for his son because sooner or later, someone would leak and twist the information, especially with the Serpent so keen on bringing his family down.

So, the outcome of that conversation was an agreement that his father and his people would look into Chansung and the company he works for with great discretion. They had to have an upper hand in this situation, especially if Chansung really is a pawn of the Serpent.

The primary investigation did not reveal a connection to the Serpent, but the company itself had some shady business going on, and shady usually leads to organised crime. So, for all they knew, Chansung & Co could have something to do with the Serpent, though there was nothing definitive at the moment. All Junho could do is wait while his father and his minions dive deeper into the net of treachery.

A couple of days have passed since then, making Junho almost forget about his confession. All he took from it was that his father didn’t judge him for his actions, he merely blamed Chansung for everything, and Minjun was right—generally speaking, it went well. Junho wasn’t thrown into the pits of hell, and on the contrary, he felt cared for. He wishes he could’ve seen this protective side of his father earlier, but perhaps he should’ve looked harder for it because it’s been there all along, even if not that obvious. Like that time when Junho broke his leg and was banned from playing football—it was done out of fatherly love. Perhaps it’s not all sparkles and rainbows, but it’s there, nonetheless.

Junho slows down on the treadmill and finally stops, tipping his head back; he’s been running for almost an hour, building his stamina. He still wants to race Minjun at some point when the circumstances are better because he doesn’t like losing even if he’s head over heels for the man. 

He takes off his t-shirt and wipes his face with it, making a mental note to bring a towel with him next time. It’s a sunny weekend and Junho guesses it’s going to be a hot one. Maybe he should go out and do something fun today? He hangs the shirt over his shoulder and walks to the kitchen for a nice glass of chilled water, thinking of all the possible activities that would make this Saturday more exciting.

Minjun stares at him as Junho enters the kitchen absent-mindedly, his exposed skin burning beneath the attentive gaze. Junho licks his lips and nods at the laptop in front of Minjun, a mug of coffee placed nearby. “What are you doing?” Junho asks, turning away and pouring water into his glass. He hates being so self-aware; he never thought much about others looking at his body and judging his appearance, probably because he didn’t care, and now he cares way too much. Junho knows he looks better than average, but when it comes to Minjun, he wants to look his best. Anyway, he commits to the t-shirt-hung-over-the-shoulder look, which covers the right side of his chest, because there’s no point in putting a sweaty shirt back on. It’d look weird.

“I’m checking new applications for the trainee program.” When Junho turns around Minjun’s eyes are glued to the computer screen, a tiny crease between his eyebrows. Junho swallows some of the cold liquid and walks over to Minjun, joining him in staring at the candidates.

There’s someone named Lee Hosung, a photo of a guy with short dark hair and sincere eyes attached to the file. Junho places his forearm on Minjun’s shoulder and leans in, reading more information—born in July, comes from Seoul, completed mandatory service, and blah blah blah... “Is he going to make the cut?”

“Can’t tell yet, we still need to run an extensive background check, but so far he looks okay.” Minjun sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. He’s wearing all grey today, a casual comfortable outfit since they’re just relaxing at home with no definite plans. Junho pulls away and turns to lean back against the counter, crossing his arms below his chest.

“So, what does it take to get hired by you?”

“What? You wanna apply?” Minjun glances at him mischievously. Junho snorts.

“Let’s say I do. What are your requirements?”

Minjun raises one eyebrow and gives him a quick once-over, forcing Junho to hold his breath for a second. “Good physique.” The bodyguard bends forward, his forearms on the table as he looks at Junho’s face. “Determination. Dedication. Agility. Intelligence. No previous criminal record. Most importantly, good behavioural record. Muscle and stamina can be built up, but psychological aspects are what matter the most.”

“I guess my PSTD could be an issue, huh?”

“Yeah, we avoid people with PTSD.”

“Broken goods.” Junho stares at the wall, thinking about his progress dealing with the nightmares. It’s been pretty good lately. Talking to Minjun about it helps immensely.

“Broken doesn’t mean bad. Hey,” Minjun says lightly. Junho looks back at him, a soft smile about to take a shape on the bodyguard’s face. “I’m broken, too. With my emotional military baggage no one would want to hire me, so I had to become a boss to hire myself.” Junho laughs. When did it become so easy to joke around about their hardships?

“Broken things can be fixed, right?” Minjun nods.

“Experiences shape us, but it’s up to us to glue everything back the right way,” the bodyguard says, glancing at his hands. That sounded very personal.

The doorbell goes off and Junho walks to the exit with Minjun tagging along behind. “Are you expecting someone?”

“No.” Junho opens the door and there’s a delivery guy, chewing gum shamelessly loud.

“Lee Junho?” he asks, clearly bored and slightly irritated. The guards must’ve checked him thoroughly before allowing him to move any further.

“Yes.”

“A package for you. Sign here.” The delivery guy gives Junho a pen to sign a portable signature device. The guy gives him a medium-sized white cardboard box after signing for it.

“Thanks.” Junho says and closes the door, carrying the box back to the kitchen.

“What did you order this time? Another cat photo album?” Minjun teases him, referring to the one Junho received about a month ago. He’s been itching to get a cat for so long, and he feels like he might actually get one for real soon.

“Surely, you must have something you like a lot, too?” Junho puts the box on the counter, staring at his bodyguard, really interested in his answer. Minjun looks up, thinking.

“Dogs.” He gives a very anticlimactic answer and Junho wheezes.

“Obviously…” Junho mutters to himself, dropping the t-shirt on a stool. People with dog personas all around him...

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Minjun squints at him.

“Nothing.” Junho gives his trademark impish grin, earning an exasperated sigh from Minjun. He should be at the receiving end once in a while. 

Junho glances at the box, looking for a sender address. “Actually, I don’t remember ordering anything. There’s no sender info on the thing.” He notices Minjun’s gaze shift from casual to suspicious as he comes closer.

“Do you mind if I open it?” Does Minjun suspect something bad about the package? An unpleasant feeling tugs at Junho’s stomach.

“Go ahead.”

Minjun takes a knife and cuts through the taped opening, Junho beside him staring at the box nervously. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe he really forgot he ordered something or maybe it’s a gift from his business partners or something, which would be weird because usually packages get delivered to his office.

Minjun opens the lid, and the view inside has Junho slapping his mouth with his palm, turning away quickly, and running to the sink. He doesn’t throw up, although he’s feeling nauseous, but anger takes over this time as Junho leans over the sink, gritting his teeth. This is fucking outrageous.

Only the Serpent would send a dead pigeon with a knife in its head, a carving of a snake on the hilt.

“They want to intimidate you.” Minjun states the obvious, standing on Junho’s left, concern on his face.

“Well, it’s fucking working.” Junho hisses. “So, now they’re threatening me in my own house?!” He pushes off the sink and stares at his bodyguard, waiting for some sort of explanation that would make him feel a little more at ease, if that’s possible.

“It’s because they can’t do anything to you that they’re resorting to this. They can’t lay a finger on you. Unless they pull out a rocket launcher, which would be very stupid given they want to hide their traces.”

Junho looks away, biting on his lower lip. That makes sense. “I’m their target, huh?”

Minjun’s half-smile is pensive. “You are the only person who really matters to your father. Of course, they’d want to get to him by harassing you.” He says softly and Junho knits his eyebrows, accepting the explanation. “This is why I’m here.”

Junho feels the familiar warmth of affection spread throughout his chest, wishing Minjun would pull him into an embrace. Instead, the bodyguard squeezes Junho’s arm and pulls out his phone.

“I’m going to call your father. That box is a great piece of evidence, don’t touch it.”

“Okay. I’m going to get changed. You can watch over the damn pigeon. At least it won’t turn into a zombie with the knife in its unfortunate brain.” Junho exhales heavily and leaves Minjun in the kitchen. This day is not off to a good start.

 

+

 

Junho is nervously bouncing his leg, sitting on a sofa in the living room. His fingers are picking at the hem of his black t-shirt, still seeing the box of horrors in the kitchen from the corner of his eye. It feels foul to receive something like this at his house, leaves a nasty aftertaste in his mouth. It’s a miracle they didn’t send a live breathing snake, but maybe they put off the idea for the next time. Junho doesn’t think they’re going to stop at this. However, this time he’s determined to face this challenge. He won’t let these twisted motherfuckers screw with him. 

There’s chatter at the entrance and Junho stands up, making his way to the hallway. He sees Minjun leading the prosecutor further into the house; however, he’s not alone. There’s a man about Junho’s age, dark hair styled nicely on top of his head and wearing a light blue button up shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and light beige pants with a pair of dark brown shoes. The outfit fits his figure like a glove. His face doesn’t say much but, judging by his effortless poker face and a black leather bag in his hands, he’s not here to sell spoons.

“Son, how are you?” His father pats Junho’s shoulder, a sympathetic smile decorates the old man’s tired face. Junho’s heart aches at the sight. The prosecutor looks more and more worn out each time they meet.

“Not as bad as you, I guess.” He smiles.

“Ah, do I look that bad?” There’s a guilty smile on his dad’s face.

“You should get more rest, honestly.”

“Don’t worry about me. It’s all for our benefit. We’re getting closer to exposing the Serpent, and this man,” he turns to the poker-faced guy, “he helps me so much with this case, I trust him a lot.”

“Detective Jang Wooyoung. Nice to meet you, finally.” His smile is surprisingly warm as he shakes hands with Junho.

“Can’t say the same, because I’ve never heard about you, but I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, nonetheless.” Junho smiles back as the detective nods in understanding. “Let’s go.” He walks to the kitchen with the entourage of justice behind him. “Here’s my lovely gift.” He waves at the open package.

“Okay, give me some time to inspect this thing.” Wooyoung opens his leather bag and takes out a couple of tools to examine the box. Meanwhile, the prosecutor touches Junho’s arm and takes him to the living room, leaving Minjun with the detective in the kitchen, both of them looking quite familiar with each other, which makes Junho raise his eyebrow.

“How come you never told me about having a crime-solving partner?” They stop by the fireplace. Junho doesn’t really like being left out of something important.

“I wasn’t hiding him from you intentionally.” The old man chuckles, but then his face turns serious. “I don’t want to inflict paranoia on you, son, but I want you to know something.”

Junho frowns. “Yes?”

“The Serpent is everywhere. Don’t trust anybody, even the people you think of as friends.” He sighs.

“Wait, what do you mean I can’t trust anybody? Is it that bad?” He can’t imagine being betrayed by Khun or someone else close to him.

“Unfortunately, it is. Their claws reach far. Somehow, information got leaked a few times and they had the upper hand, so I minimized the circle to me and Mr. Jang. It seems to be working so far.” He glances at the preoccupied duo in the kitchen, Wooyoung placing the box in a plastic bag, chuckling at something Minjun’s telling him. “The only people I can trust are in this house. Mr. Kim, who saved your life, included. Other than that, I can’t really trust anyone.” It’s a relief to know his dad trusts Minjun, because Junho trusts him as well.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good.”

“Would you like to have lunch together, maybe?” 

“I’m afraid I can’t. I’m supposed to meet someone tonight, and I have some work to do before that.” His father looks slightly guilty. He probably wants to spend more time with his son, but he’s so busy with this case, which leaves Junho wanting to lock him in a bathroom and leave him there to relax in a bath of bubbles, surrounded by candle light and meditative music.

“Working even on the weekends. Some things never change.” Junho smiles sullenly. 

“It’s important. I’m getting closer and closer to beating the Serpent.” The prosecutor wears a hopeful smile and rubs Junho’s arm. “We could have lunch tomorrow?”

“I’d love that.” 

His father nods and starts walking to the kitchen where it looks like Wooyoung is almost done securing the box in a plastic bag. “It seems like the company Chansung is working for might have some connections to the clan, but we can’t find anything legitimately incriminating,” Mr. Lee says.

“Not the best news.” Junho’s dissatisfaction seeps through his tone.

“They cover their tracks well,” Wooyoung notes, Junho instantly looking at his face. “I found fingerprints on the box, but I assume they belong to you, Minjun, and the people working at the delivery company. So, I’ll have to dig deeper and try to figure where the knife and the bird came from.”

“Like, dissect its stomach and find the origin of the crop in its belly, which would lead you to the culprit?” Junho asks, forcing a laugh out of Wooyoung.

“Something like that. Definitely less glamorous than all the CSI series, though.” He plays along with Junho and makes the latter smile. “I will definitely find something. I always do.” His confident grin puts Junho in the right mood. Wooyoung gave him not only hope, but reassurance this situation will get settled.

“I’ll wait for the good news, then,” Junho says as they walk to the door. “See you tomorrow, dad?”

“Yes. Despite everything, I hope you can have a nice day, Junho. We will get them.” The prosecutor pats Junho’s chest.

“I’m sure you will. Bye, dad.” They nod to each other and his father glances at Minjun, nodding at him as well. The door closes, leaving them alone again.

“So, what did you think of the detective?” Junho looks at Minjun curiously.

“Trustworthy. Also, reminds me of you.” He chuckles, seeing Junho’s confusion.

“How?!”

“You’re both nosy.” Junho rolls his eyes. Then, he remembers how it appeared to not be the first time Minjun had seen Wooyoung, raising suspicion within Junho.

“Have you talked to him before?”

“Yeah, he called me after the assault in Singapore. We talk from time to time.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“Why should I?”

Junho stares at Minjun. Sometimes, he wants to punch him. It probably translates into his expression because Minjun suddenly has an apologetic expression on his face, realising that he probably must’ve sounded too harsh. “I mean, I didn’t think it was that important. He’s just a detective who needs information.”

“A detective whom my father trusts blindly! Why the fuck does no one think it’s important to tell me stuff like this? First, dad. Now, you. I hate being left out of the loop!” Junho barks.

“Alright, I’m sorry. I should have told you.” Minjun answers politely, but for some reason it angers Junho even more. He feels Junho-the-brat making a sudden comeback.

“Fuck, just when I thought people cared enough to share important things with me… We’re all in this together! But I guess I don’t deserve to be more involved.” Junho turns around, sour-faced, and is about to walk off when Minjun catches his arm. Junho glares at him, but it dissipates into something softer when he notices something vulnerable in Minjun’s eyes.

“I care. Honestly, I do.” They gaze at each other for a while. There are still a couple of embers of anger smouldering within Junho, but he realises he can’t be mad at Minjun for too long, especially not when he looks so genuinely sorry. Moreover, Minjun wasn’t the only one who knew Wooyoung, so maybe lashing out at him isn’t very fair… Maybe it’s just his frustrations exploding at the wrong time, because everything is so stressful these days. Perhaps there’s a drop of jealousy, too.

Junho closes his eyes for a moment and sighs. “Good,” he says, and Minjun’s hold around his bicep softens; he’s just touching Junho’s skin lightly, making the engineer look at him.

“You won’t throw flour at me or anything?” There’s humour in the bodyguard’s eyes and Junho snorts. Then, the engineer takes a step closer and grabs Minjun by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close.

“Do something like that again and you’ll find a farm of mosquitoes in your bed,” Junho whispers menacingly, but not without a wicked grin, implying he’s cool with the situation.

“Do that and you’ll find a pair of crocs glued to your feet in the morning.” Minjun smirks, playing along.

“That’s not fair; you know it’s my kryptonite.”

“You threatened me with mosquitoes first. You know I hate them.” Junho scoffs and releases Minjun, taking a step back.

“That’s the point of a punishment.”

“You’re the punisher now, huh?”

“Yeah, remember how Kwon said to not make me hurt and sad?” Junho says bluntly, humour from Minjun’s face gone. He nods. “I don’t want people I consider close keeping important things away from me.” Junho licks his lips, glancing at a painting on the wall, seeing his own reflection on the glass. He does look quite upset. He can see Minjun’s reflection, too, his sympathetic eyes locked on Junho’s profile.

“Junho,” Minjun’s voice draws his gaze back to the bodyguard. “I shouldn’t tell you this, probably…” Minjun fidgets with the strings of his sweatpants, “but your father wants you to have a normal life. I mean, as much as it’s possible with the security all around you. He doesn’t want to involve you in his business and the fight against the Serpent simply so you can be more relaxed and go on with your daily activities.”

“Meanwhile his hair turns grey in a span of a couple of months,” Junho scoffs, hands in his pockets. This care and protection is going a little overboard. “I don’t want him taking it all for me. Like, I appreciate the thought, but how can I have a normal life with everything happening to us?” The engineer’s smile is gloomy. “I’m not a fragile vase. It’s not easy, but I can handle difficulties.”

“Maybe you should tell him that tomorrow. I know you’re strong, but he’s your father and you’re his treasure.”

“Like, he’d love to keep me hidden in a chest on an uninhabited island?” Junho snorts.

“Pretty much.” Minjun smiles.

Junho sighs. “I actually have some work to do and I don’t feel like going anywhere anymore, so I’ll stay in the office upstairs. You can have a day off or something. Go out for a couple of hours and do whatever you need to do.” Junho ruffles Minjun’s hair briefly, making a mess. “Like, get a haircut.”

“Is that an order?” He grins.

“Yeah.” Junho takes a step back. “I’ll be fine in this fortress. They’re not going to blow up this place while you’re gone. I think they bet on me sitting in my room and crying while holding the pigeon in my hands.”

“I’ll call a couple additional guards to strengthen the walls, just in case.”

“Fine. Do as you wish.” Junho waves his hand and walks upstairs, feeling content that Minjun doesn’t think of him as a fragile piece of glass.

 

+

 

The sun is already gone when Junho stands up from his comfortable chair. His eyes are feeling a little tired, so he rubs them, hoping to relieve some of the tension. He was telling his dad off for working on the weekend, but he’s no different. An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

He heard Minjun come back not too long ago. Junho walks to his room but he’s not there, so he checks the remaining rooms and stops when he notices the bodyguard exercising in the backyard, bare feet on the grass. He probably got tired of the gym, and the weather is very nice tonight.

Junho leans on the doorway leading to the wooden terrace and the backyard, hands in his pockets. Minjun seems to be doing yoga, his body contorted in a weird way as he has his back to Junho; he’s sitting with one leg straight, the other bent over the knee, and his arms held behind his back, hands clasped tightly, hugging the bent leg on the left side, and his lips are pressed to the knee of the straight leg. It looks painful, but the bodyguard looks serene.

“What’s that pose called?” Junho interrupts Minjun’s thoughts, so the latter sits up and turns around.

“Marichyasana.” Minjun stands up, patting the material of his shorts and a tank-top. His hair looks nicely trimmed, Junho smiles to himself. 

“Do you think I could do it?” He walks down the terrace as Minjun places his hands on his hips.

“Hm… I’m not sure. How flexible are you?”

“Quite flexible.” Junho bends down, legs straight, and he touches the grass with his palms. He’s never done yoga before, but it can’t be that hard, right?

“Okay, sit down and try it.” Minjun has a mischievous grin and it’s probably not a good sign. Junho doesn’t back down, however.

He attempts to do the pose Minjun was doing so effortlessly a minute ago, but it’s really taking a lot of strength to do everything correctly. Minjun gets on his knees to fix Junho’s pose and his muscles are protesting this idea of being stretched in places they’ve never been stretched before.

“Insanity.” Junho huffs and breaks the pose, his back falling on the grass as he heaves. Minjun stares at him from above, still on his knees. There’s that smart smile on his face. “Before you make fun of me, at least I managed to get into the right pose.” Minjun chuckles.

“Why would I make fun of you? You did well. It takes time to be able to hold it longer.” Junho raises his eyebrow; he didn’t expect praise.

“Then what are you smiling about?”

“I like how you challenge yourself even though you know it’s probably not a very good idea. A risk taker.”

“You wouldn’t hire a risk taker.”

“No.” Minjun smiles. “Being impulsive is both your blessing and a curse.” He stands up and offers a hand to Junho.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. You like safe people. Predictable.” He grabs the hand and pulls him to his full height.

“At work, yes. In personal life, not so much.” Junho gazes at him questioningly, inaudibly asking to elaborate. “Guards need to be able to improvise, but they can’t be reckless about it. They have to strategize with a calm heart. A lot depends on their decisions. So, of course I prefer having guards who’re not impulsive. As for outside of work…” Minjun shifts his weight onto the other leg, staring at the grass. “I like people who can keep me on my toes, it’s exciting and fun. Especially when you spend an entire day acting according to the rules, being in full control of your actions, it’s nice to have something different when work hours are over.”

_A businessman in the streets, a hurricane in the sheets_ , Junho can’t help the ridiculously lewd thought creeping up in his mind. This sounds very _promising_ and he probably shouldn’t have these thoughts, because what Minjun said actually makes a lot of sense; however, it’s not easy to fish his brain out of the gutter when he looks so cosy and approachable.

“I’m probably filling in your daily quota of unexpected impulsive moments. Am I interfering with your duties?” 

Minjun laughs. “Sometimes.” He has this mysterious grin on his face, which makes Junho think Minjun isn’t really against that.

“At least life is not boring with me.” Junho scratches his arm. 

“Yeah, we can agree on that.”

“Would you hang out with me if I weren’t your client?” Minjun lightly picks the grass with the toes of his right foot, averting his gaze from Junho, but the relaxed smile is still apparent in his soft features.

“Sure.” Junho feels like a happy kid and almost refrains from jumping on Minjun.

“So, you won’t delete my number when the contract is over? You’re not just saying this because you’re very polite and I’m still your client and you're afraid of repercussions?” Junho jokes, silly hope burning in his chest.

Minjun looks at him finally, his dark eyes a little surprised, but then he chuckles. “No, I won’t ghost you,” he reassures whimsically. 

“That sounds like you’re definitely going to ghost me.” Minjun laughs louder, reclining his head back a little, showing more of his tanned neck.

“I swear, I won’t.” Junho still stares at him sceptically. “Do you want a blood oath?” The sonorous laugh fills Junho’s hearing, making him answer in the same manner, his shoulders shaking a little.

“Actually, yeah,” the engineer jokes.

“That’s creepy.” Minjun calms down a little.

“You offered first.” Junho crosses his arms on his chest.

“Only because you looked like you really wanted it.” There’s something in his voice that wipes all the humour off Junho’s face and he gulps, noticing a slight panic behind Minjun’s eyes. Like he can’t believe those words just escaped his mouth. It wouldn’t sound so out of the ordinary if it weren’t for the fact Minjun would never show that level of indulgence towards Junho. It felt very personal.

Before Junho can say anything more, Minjun’s phone rings and both of them are saved from the awkward pause.

“Yes?” Minjun answers hastily and turns on his heel slightly so Junho would be facing his profile. Junho notices how Minjun’s face changes, his features forming into something akin to a disbelief mixed with distress. He looks like a statue, his eyes wider than usual, his entire posture frozen in time. Junho himself feels discomfort crawling in his stomach because Minjun has never looked like this before. Whatever he is being told is shocking. Minjun’s lips start moving, laconic words carried away by a light breeze, “Yes. Thank you. I will.” He ends the conversation and his arm slowly lowers and goes slack aside his hip, Junho notices how white his knuckles are wrapped tightly around the phone. Minjun licks his lips and exhales shakily, making Junho’s stomach twist even more.

“What is it? Did something happen to dad?” He asks impatiently and Minjun turns to him, knitting his eyebrows, analysing Junho’s face with what seems to be pure compassion. “Minjun?” Junho steps closer to him, his mind jumping to various distressing conclusions. Minjun’s lips twitch, his eyes boring into Junho’s soul.

_No._

Junho shakes his head.

“No…” Junho keeps on shaking his head slowly, the terrible thought making itself more rooted in his mind. Minjun swallows hard as he opens his mouth.

“I’m so sorry… Your father is dead.”

Junho’s world shatters.

[](https://imgur.com/uaqwxSM)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't hate me for the end of this chapter... things are getting serious. what did you think? I need to know!


	9. An Anchor

“No,” Junho repeats, his nails digging into the heels of his palms. “I refuse to believe it until I see him. This has to be a mistake,” Junho reasons desperately, staring at Minjun’s gloomy face.

“Junho…” Minjun squeezes Junho’s shoulders, his gaze caressing him gently. “He was poisoned at a restaurant…” The engineer swallows hard and lowers his eyes. He remembers his father telling him about meeting someone. Did that person do it? Was his dad really murdered? This can’t be real. It just can’t.

Minjun’s right hand moves to the side of Junho’s neck, forcing the latter look at him. “We have to go to the morgue.”

Junho breathes out heavily, denial still strong in his perturbed mind. He hasn’t seen the body yet, so there’s a chance he’s still alive. Maybe it’s not his father at all. Maybe someone declared him dead without checking properly. That happens, right? Moreover, there’s a type of drug that makes people seem dead. That’s possible, right? He’s heard that people suddenly wake up just before they’re about to get an autopsy or buried. Junho has to believe that. He must.

“Okay,” he says with fake confidence, encouraging himself that this must be a really bad case of miscommunication, because his father being dead makes no sense. He had bodyguards all around him. 

Minjun wears a melancholic look, but doesn’t pry as he leads Junho into the house. “I’ll quickly change into something more appropriate and grab my things. I’ll be back in a minute.” Junho nods as Minjun runs upstairs.

Junho finds his wallet and puts it into his back pocket, fiddling with his phone in his hands. Maybe he should call his dad? Would he answer? He stares at the phone screen, but he can’t do anything else. The odds of his dad not picking up are 50/50 and that scares him, so he decides not to try his luck.

Loud footsteps make his head snap up, and he sees Minjun dressed all in black—pants and a jumper, fixing the gun holster as he makes his way towards Junho. His dark outfit oozes something ominous, as if confirming the dreadful fact Junho’s not ready to accept yet. Or ever.

“Let’s go,” Minjun declares.

The unsettling feeling in his stomach only intensifies as they drive away from home, his safe place. The thought of being completely by himself is so unbearable, Junho shoves it away with all he’s got. He hasn’t seen the body yet. It’s not real.

Minjun’s eagle eyes survey their surroundings when they exit the car. The watchers who are usually at a distance are really close this time, securing the SUV parked nearby the back entrance of the Department of Criminal Investigations, where murder victims are brought to be examined thoroughly.

They walk downstairs to the basement, the atmosphere here undeniably eerie. The cold lights inside the building have nothing soothing about them, and Junho feels like he’s being taken to the slaughter, almost no people in the maze-like corridors at this time of night. They take another turn and reach the door with a security post nearby and a guard sitting behind it, reading a book. Junho glances at the wooden doors with small square windows and reads _Morgue_ on a plaque above. 

“We’re here to identify the body.” Minjun’s voice brings him from his stupor.

“The one from the restaurant?” the middle-aged man asks and puts the book away.

“Yes,” Minjun confirms.

“I’ll need your IDs,” he says and glances at Minjun’s guns. “What’s your job?” the man inquires, as he writes down their information before granting them access.

“A bodyguard.”

“That’s a tough job.” He gives the IDs back and looks at Junho. “You can go, I’ll buzz you in.” They nod and move towards the door, Junho feeling slightly nauseous when they enter the cold room. 

There’s a wall with many square doors on their left, making Junho’s heart beat more rapidly. Then, he notices two steel autopsy tables, one with a doctor beside it sewing up a female body, which doesn’t make the engineer feel any better because the view before him is quite grotesque to someone who’s never seen anything like that before. The doctor has a bald spot and is slightly overweight, but overall doesn’t look menacing or anything. He glances at Junho and Minjun nonchalantly.

“Are you here for the body from the restaurant?” He covers the female body.

“Yes,” Junho says a little too loudly, staring at the doctor removing the bloody gloves and throwing them away.

“The autopsy will be performed tomorrow. Since there’s suspicion of foul play, I drew blood samples to run some preliminary tests.” He gives a sympathetic look to Junho, passing by him and shuffling closer to one of the small square doors to the left. He opens the door and pulls out a table with a body covered by a white sheet. Junho can’t see the face yet, his palms already so sweaty.

They stand on the left side while the doctor takes the right, his fingers placed on the sheet, ready to uncover whoever is lying beneath. Junho’s heart is drumming in his ears, the morbid anticipation mercilessly coursing through his veins. He can feel Minjun’s hand on his back, giving him encouragement, but Junho’s eyes are glued to the spot where the head is supposed to be. “My condolences,” the doctor sighs and uncovers the head.

Junho stops breathing momentarily, his painfully longing gaze focused on the pale face below. Just a few hours ago, that same face was full of life and warm colour.

Junho breathes out sharply, his hands latching onto the edge of the table, leaning forward as he closes his eyes, silence piercing his ears.

“Can you leave me alone, please,” he says quietly. Minjun’s hand abandons his back, and both men honour his request as he can hear the sound of their feet shuffling away disappearing behind the closed door of the morgue.

He can’t deny it anymore. His father is dead.

Junho’s breathing is shaky when he opens his eyes and touches his father’s cheek, appalled by the iciness of it. He looks different. Well, of course, he’s dead. Junho scoffs grimly, tears pooling at the rims of his eyes.

They were supposed to have lunch tomorrow, but instead, Junho will have to organise a funeral. He doesn’t even know what he’s supposed to do. No one provides a manual on what to do when your loved ones die.

Junho rubs the cool cheek with his thumb, his father looking so terribly peaceful.

“I’m all by myself now… I don’t know what to do, dad…” he whispers, tears finally breaking through the barrier, rolling down his cheeks. “Can’t you come back to me?” 

Silence.

The more he looks at the lifeless face below him, the more Junho feels like he was blown out into space with no spacesuit, no oxygen, no other equipment, nothing to help him back to the space station. The grief suffocates him, clawing at his heart like a wild animal. He cannot endure this, not now, not here.

Junho bends lower and kisses his dad’s forehead, lingering there for a bit, knowing this is the last time he will see him.

He pulls back slightly, brushing his father’s grey hair lightly. “Goodbye,” he says and walks out of the room, wiping his tears, hoping to keep them within.

However, not only grief plagues him, there’s anger, too. He looks at Minjun in the corridor and their eyes meet as Junho approaches. There’s a crease of concern between the bodyguard’s eyebrows and Junho stops right in front of him. “Why is he there, Minjun?” Junho grabs onto Minjun’s jumper, his hand shaking a little. “He had all these guards… Why?” Sorrow seeps through his hushed tone and Junho’s fist tightens, crumpling the material of Minjun’s jumper more. The bodyguard’s eyes soften. He seems to be slightly uncomfortable and glances away briefly, then looks back at Junho with an apologetic expression.

“I don’t know… I’m sorry,” Minjun says quietly, accepting Junho’s desperate anger.

“I’m still alive and he’s dead. He put so much into protecting me, but he’s dead. He’s…gone.” Junho feels a lump of regret in his throat, and the tears he’s been trying to hold back pour out of him like a waterfall, making him choke. “He’s gone… I’m completely alone now...” he cries out, head hung low, his arms slack by his sides, no energy left in his body.

The sorrow washes over him with such brute force that Junho loses the ability to rationalise things, let alone speak or control his emotions. He stands there helplessly, tears streaming down his face, falling around his feet on the cold cement floor. The colour is hauntingly similar to the skin tone of his dad’s face.

His distorted vision is suddenly obstructed by the black material of the bodyguard’s clothing when Minjun takes a step forward and pulls Junho into a hug. Junho’s face is cradled into the crook of Minjun’s neck, allowing his tears to trickle down his skin and soak into the jumper. Minjun’s fingers dig deep into the engineer’s hair as his hand presses against the back of Junho’s neck, while the other arm wraps tightly a little below Junho’s trembling shoulders, providing Junho with a sense of comfort.

Junho circles his arms around Minjun’s torso, pressing to him like his life depends on it. Minjun is like an anchor, keeping him steady in the ocean of heartbreak. Junho weeps, memories rushing through his mind, trying to remember all the happy moments he had with his father. He realises there weren’t that many because of the complicated relationship they had, so he clings tightly to the memories from the last few weeks because that’s when it felt like they were really starting to warm up to each other, opening up more because of the difficult situation they were in. Junho is crushed because he knows there won’t be a chance to improve their relationship anymore. Whenever things start to get better, a violent storm always appears, destroying everything in its way.

Minjun’s fingers caress Junho’s hair in the same calming manner as in Singapore. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers into Junho’s ear, holding his body tightly. “I’m sorry…” he repeats, voice full of remorse, and Junho cries harder, submerged in Minjun’s compassion.

He doesn’t know how long it takes for him to finally stop his sobbing, but by the time he does, his eyes and skin are burning. Minjun doesn’t let go though, and Junho just stays glued to him, absorbing his strength, face pressed to the bodyguard’s shoulder as he gradually finds his way into grim numbness.

Junho feels like it’s time to detach himself from the anchor, so he pulls back and takes a tiny step away from the embrace that gave him freedom to mourn. Minjun touches Junho’s chin gently and makes the latter look at him. The bodyguard dabs the material of his soft sleeve over Junho’s cheeks, drying the irritated, puffy skin.

“Maybe it’s not much of a consolation…” Minjun says, little confidence in his voice. He appears to be unusually vulnerable in this moment. “But I’m here. You’re not alone.” His words stir something in Junho that he recognizes as relief. 

“Thank you,” Junho says, licking his salty lips. He notices how soaked Minjun’s jumper is and comprehends the extent of his crying. “Sorry for ruining your clothing.” Minjun gives him a look of disbelief, like Junho is out of his mind apologising for something like this.

“Stop it,” he chides softly and Junho nods, looking over Minjun’s shoulder and noticing a shadowy figure hurrying towards them.

“You’re still here.” Wooyoung emerges from the poorly lit corridor, a plastic file case in one hand. He seems to be relieved to find them. “My sincere condolences,” he touches Junho’s shoulder and the latter nods, accepting it. He still feels like he’s in an alternate dimension. “We should talk. Let’s go sit over there.” He shows them to a small area with a couple of chairs and a table covered in random brochures. Junho sits beside Minjun as Wooyoung grabs another chair and places it in front of them, settling down for a conversation. Junho is so out of it.

“I don’t want to disturb you like this…” Wooyoung sighs. “However, I believe there are some things you should know, if that’s okay with you...”

“Yes?” Junho asks tiredly. He realises he doesn’t know anything except that his dad was likely poisoned. “I’m listening.” Wooyoung has his attention.

“Upon preliminary inspection, it seems your father was poisoned during the dinner. I believe it was possible because your father made a reservation a couple of hours prior, which gave his enemies the time to prepare...” Junho exhales, rubbing his forehead. The Serpent is organised too well. “He met with someone, a witness. I have the name but I can’t expose him. I don’t believe he had anything to do with the poisoning. The person survived simply because he has certain dietary issues and doesn’t eat in restaurants. I’m already pulling data from security cameras, asking around and more… I’ll find the culprit, I can give you my word.” Junho nods, slumping in his chair. “Before I leave, I’d like to give something to you.” Wooyoung takes an envelope from his case and gives it to Junho. The detective’s expression softens. “After what happened in Singapore, your father wrote this letter and gave it to me for safekeeping. He told me to give it to you in case anything ever happened to him… I was hoping it would never come to this. Alas…” Wooyoung exhales heavily. “I hope it gives you some sort of closure.” Junho takes the envelope and the detective stands up, nods, and leaves. He’s like a gust of wind.

Junho stares at the envelope, the last piece of his dad’s mind laid out in ink for Junho to read. He gathers his remaining mental strength to open the envelope and takes out a single piece of paper with writing on both sides, immediately recognising the old man’s neat handwriting. Junho could never write so beautifully.

_My dear son,_

_I was praying you’d never have to read this letter, but if you are, it means I’m no longer in this world._

_After Singapore, I realised I had to plan ahead with more precision. So, thinking about your safety and how I might not be able to be here to ensure it, I took some measures to make sure you are well protected. Without your knowledge, I secured an additional contract with Mr. Kim’s company to come into effect in case of my death. You will be protected by him and his guards until Mr. Jang can put the Serpent leaders behind bars. I opened a special fund to cover the contract expenses with enough money for at least six years. I believe Mr. Jang will succeed faster than that, so any remaining sum will belong to you then. For now, you will only inherit real estate and a few other things, and you’re free to do whatever you want with them._

_Now, I need to say something I have never told you in person because I never had the courage to express my feelings openly. I was never able to tell you I love you, and I know I was terrible at showing it, too. Junho, I love you. Your smile is just like your mother’s, and when you smile, I’m the happiest. It will be hard to smile for a while now, but I hope you will be able to do that someday. Not for me, but for yourself. I know firsthand how hard it is to lose someone you love so much… Your mother was the love of my life and now I am finally reunited with her. Perhaps it sounds a little selfish, but I can’t lie—I missed her so much. Having you by my side made my days brighter; you’re so much like her, it’s both melancholic and ecstatic. It seems like I can’t have you both in one universe, so I’m doomed to be with only one of you at a time. Sometimes life makes you suffer and all you can do is fight. Give yourself time to feel grief, sadness, regret, but don’t forget there are also things like joy, comfort, and love. I found those things in you, and that’s what got me through all these years. Take your time to heal and find solace. You’re brave and strong, my precious Junho._

_P.S. I know you took a video and a few photos of your mom from me. I feared your reaction, but I can confess now that I strategically placed them there for you because I knew your curiosity would lead you to them someday. You can find more in the box placed in my office at home._

_With love, dad._

Junho tips his head back, his lips pressed tight in a painful smile. He presses the letter to his chest, feeling Minjun’s intense gaze on his profile. “So, there’s another contract.”  


“Yes,” Minjun says and Junho looks at him. “You’re stuck with me,” the bodyguard says, a pensive half-smile on his face.

“I’m stuck with you,” Junho repeats, his eyes darting back to the letter. “Dad always has a plan. That’s why he is amazing at chess. Was.” Junho corrects himself and puts the letter back into the envelope. Even after his death, his dad is taking care of him.

Someone is running down the corridor and Junho recognises Nichkhun, his face painted with genuine worry. When he sees Junho, he hurries towards him and pulls him into a hug, the latter feeling like a rag doll. Touched by Khun’s affection, Junho feels a couple of warm tears run down his swollen cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Junho.” He sighs in Khun’s protective embrace.

“I can’t believe this is real,” Junho whispers. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do. I have no energy to move or think.” He clings onto Khun’s white hoodie. He looks like an angel in this poorly lit corridor.

Khun pulls away slightly. “Junho, I will take care of everything. You don’t have to lift a finger. Just grieve in peace.”

“I can’t possibly let you do everything…” Junho feels slightly uncomfortable, so useless and weak. Khun seems to sense that as he cups Junho’s face in his palms.

“Junho, I want to help you. Let me help you. I’m here for you. Always.” Khun’s big eyes hypnotise Junho into submission and he nods, giving in completely. “Just go home and get some rest. I’ll arrange everything.”

“You’re a saint, Khun.” The taller man smiles at him kindly.

“I’m just a friend who loves to help a friend in need. Minjun,” he glances over Junho’s shoulder where the bodyguard stands behind him, “take him home.”

“Okay,” he says and touches Junho’s back lightly, guiding him towards the exit and the car.

Junho can barely walk, his vitality has never been so low. All this stress exhausted him so quickly, and Khun offering his help was what he really needed. He doesn’t know how he’d be able to arrange things for the funeral because his mind is just not present.

Minjun helps him climb into the back seat, holding Junho’s waist; the engineer flops heavily onto the leather material.

The ride back home is hazy, Junho’s mind wandering through countless memories, playing various scenarios of what could’ve been had his father stayed alive. That’s all he will have from now on—his imagination. The dreadful thought pierces his chest, allowing another lone tear to roll down his cheek. The image of his dead father’s face haunts his mind, and Junho has a feeling he won’t be able to fall asleep. And if he does, nothing good will come of it.

He then remembers the pigeon and suddenly realises it was meant to divert their attention from the real target. Of course, everyone focused on Junho and the harassment towards him meant the prosecutor might have his mind elsewhere, weakening his own protection. The old man must’ve been so preoccupied with Junho’s safety, he didn’t think or forgot that making a reservation in his name could actually be fatal. Never let your enemy know your next move.

The Range Rover stops in the yard, which Junho comprehends only when Minjun opens the SUV door for him. “The pigeon was a mean to distract us,” he says, staring at the surprised bodyguard. 

Minjun thinks for a moment and frowns, “You might be right.” He sighs and stays close to Junho as he gets off the car.

He drags his feet, letter in one hand. It’s so weird that his body is so lifeless, yet his brain is close to overload. Junho bumps into Minjun’s body accidentally and the latter wraps his arm around the engineer’s shoulders, supporting him as they make their way into the house.

There’s a sense of consolation knowing that Minjun will stay with him until the case is solved. If he weren’t there, Junho wouldn’t know what he would do. He’s just so lost.

They walk upstairs into Junho’s room, not bothering with the lights. The dusky atmosphere fits Junho’s low spirits, and he even finds it weirdly comforting, being surrounded by shadows and rays of artificial light from the hall and the moonlight coming from the outside.

He sits down on the bed and falls on his back, staring at the ceiling. He doesn’t want to be alone.

“I’m afraid, you know. To be all by myself,” Junho speaks quietly. “I always took it for granted, my dad being somewhere in the city, a few kilometres away. Just knowing that was enough to make me feel at ease.” He rubs his eyes. “I don’t have that anymore.” Junho turns his head and finds Minjun staring at him, but he can’t see his face in the shadows, the dim light illuminating him from behind, arms folded on his chest. “I don’t know if I can fall asleep,” he says, exhausted. It’s quiet for a couple of moments until Minjun speaks up.

“I can stay with you and keep you company. We can talk or just stay quiet. Doesn’t matter. If you don’t want to be alone, I can stay.” Minjun’s smooth voice touches Junho, so he sits up and nods, accepting the considerate proposal. Minjun doesn’t have to do this, it’s not in his contract, but Junho can already tell it’s more than just a contract for the bodyguard. During their time together, Junho wasn’t the only one who changed, and he can see it very clearly now. Minjun is offering his friendship, and it’s the type of platonic intimacy Junho needs at the moment. Just being there for him.

“Come here.” Junho pats the left side of the bed and moves up on the right side, watching Minjun remove his holster with the guns and put it on a chair.

They both settle in, lying on their backs. Minjun has one arm under his head, the other resting on his stomach. Junho turns on his side, placing an arm under his head as well, looking at Minjun’s profile. He looks so serene, it’s almost enviable. But beneath the theatre of shadows playing on the bodyguard’s face, Junho notices the way his eyebrows are scrunched a little; he’s deep in thought.

“Tell me something,” Junho says.

“Like what?” Minjun turns his head to him.

“I don’t know; anything to keep my mind off the fact that I’m about to bury my dad.” Junho’s heart flutters heavily, his own words hurting him more than he expected. A couple of tears escape his eyes and he doesn’t bother wiping them. Minjun’s gaze is sympathetic and full of concern upon witnessing this lamenting visual.

Minjun rolls towards Junho and hugs him with his left arm, the top of Junho’s head under his chin, his forehead pressed to the bodyguard’s collarbone. Junho’s right arm sneaks past Minjun’s waist, his palm landing on the older male’s shoulder blade.

“I actually thought about becoming a writer when I was still in school,” Minjun confesses. “Military and writing; they seem like two complete opposites, don’t they?” Junho agrees with a slight nod, inhaling Minjun’s scent.

“What changed your mind?”

“Destiny, I guess. Because she was a literature teacher, my mom encouraged me to become a writer since I was good at it. However, I always thought my dad was so cool as a policeman, and I wanted to be awesome, too. That reasoning was pretty vain.” Minjun chuckles briefly. “I was in conflict. So, one day I made a bet with myself.” Junho closes his eyes, listening to the bodyguard’s story, imagining a teenager Minjun. “There was a writing contest in my school, and I told myself, _‘if I win this, I’ll become a writer, and if I lose, I’ll work for the military’_ , so I started preparing for it.”

“The day had come, and because I stayed up so late preparing for the contest, I didn’t hear the alarm go off in the morning, so I was already very late when I woke up. However, I still had a little bit of time left and the school wasn’t too far from my home, so I dressed quickly and ran to school, taking shortcuts here and there.”

“My physique was good because I was already taking classes in martial arts, doing exercises to build up my stamina and such, so I believed I’d make it in time, and I would’ve done that, but as I was running across a busy street, I heard an elderly woman shouting for help. People just looked at her in confusion, but I noticed a man dashing off with a purse in his hands. I didn’t even think—my body moved on its own. I started pursuing the robber and caught up to him very quickly, grabbing him by the jacket and making him fall on the ground. He was older than me, but he was weaker, so it wasn’t that hard for me to keep him down until someone called the police, and they detained him.”

“The old lady was so thankful for the help, she told me I should use the strength I have to do more good things.” Minjun sighs. “I didn’t go back to take part in the writing contest because what she told me truly inspired me to take a different path. It felt good to be able to help her, to do the right thing when no one else did. So, I thought to myself, perhaps I should do that for the time being, and if I get tired of it, I can just go back to writing anytime I want.”

“And yet you still chose to become a bodyguard after almost getting killed,” Junho notes, no reprimand in his tone. 

“I’m still young. I want to use my skills, teach trainees. Being a bodyguard is challenging, so there might come a time when I’ll stop being one. I don’t take on that job very often anyway. Nonetheless, I like co-owning the company.” Minjun’s velvet voice sends pleasant vibrations to Junho’s forehead close to the bodyguard’s throat. “Maybe I’ll become a writer when I’m sixty or something.”

“Sounds like a decent retirement plan.” Junho imagines Minjun typing on a keyboard, with grey hair, and glasses on top of his nose. He also sees himself in that vision, standing beside Minjun and reading the lines he wrote, offering his opinion. Melancholy wets his eyes this time, but he holds his tears in, getting the hang of it, finally.

“What do you imagine your retirement to be like?” Minjun asks, his fingers caressing the space between Junho’s shoulder blades lightly.

_With you_ , Junho thinks, drowning in Minjun’s kindness. “Not alone,” he says quietly and hears Minjun exhale slowly. For a moment, Junho forgot about his pain. Apparently, imagining having a future with Minjun is a powerful thing. If they could stay like this until Junho completely heals emotionally, it’d be perfect.

They don’t speak anymore after that, and Junho forces himself to imagine that utopic future, pushing the morbid thoughts away because he knows that when he wakes up tomorrow, he will have to face harsh reality again, and he doesn’t know if he’s capable of it. Minjun won’t hold him like this forever, supplying peace and support, so Junho immerses himself in those radiant thoughts and at some point, he falls asleep, cocooned in a protective embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a lot of effort to write this chapter... So, let me know how it made you feel.


	10. Trust

[](https://imgur.com/82qFxTG)  


 

Junho lies in a hot bath, arms hung over the edges, eyes closed. It all still feels like a bad dream. He buried his father three days ago, surrounded by a lot of people he has never seen before. He accepted their condolences like a preprogrammed robot, unfamiliar faces blurring into each other. People from his company came to show their support, too. Nichkhun was his hero, helping him in every way that he could, and Kwon was also there, making sure to let Junho know he can talk to him anytime if needed.

Press circled around the funeral house like vultures. Minjun’s guards did their best to keep them as far away as possible, but they couldn’t possibly keep them from taking photographs of them and their guests outside of the building. The burial had not concluded yet and the photos were already on various websites trying to gain clicks from this misfortune. It was a hot topic since the prosecutor was allegedly killed for pursuing the Serpent leaders. Everyone wanted to know the latest scoop.

Which brought the spotlight onto Junho—the only child and the heir of the company that was founded by his father. Media started dissecting DSMN Robotics as well, bringing Junho’s brilliant work to the forefront. On any other occasion, Junho would be glad to receive so much attention for his work, but he knew the journalists were simply looking for filler for their juicy articles (of course, they brought up the incident in Singapore again). They even started calling him for interviews, which was outrageous since he had just buried his only family member.

Sleeping was tough. Junho would toss in his bed getting a minimal amount of rest, but he didn’t dare tell Minjun about it. He didn’t want to abuse his kindness, knowing the bodyguard needed his strength to watch over Junho during the day. Finding a way to get Minjun back to his bed was tempting though because that night was the only time he felt truly safe and somewhat content. Junho had woken up at dawn lying on his stomach, his face pressed to Minjun’s shoulder, his arm resting on the bodyguard’s stomach as the latter was sleeping on his back, head turned towards Junho. It was such a serene moment with birds chirping outside and a blood orange sky painting the bedroom walls like a canvas. Junho gazed at him as long as he could, postponing his trip to the shower to wash away tears from the day before. When Minjun started to stir, Junho slipped out of the bed and spent an hour in the shower, just sitting on the tiled floor under the hot stream, grief taking over his thoughts. Minjun was gone when he finally left the bathroom.

During and after the funeral, Junho held onto that tranquil memory of a beautiful dawn and Minjun’s body next to his. He held his tears in surprisingly well and didn’t allow himself to cry anymore, especially not in front of all these unfamiliar people.

Then, after the funeral, the expected legal issues came along. Junho received his father’s will and was appointed to be the successor of his legal firm, putting more responsibility and weight on his shoulders. DSMN Robotics was already so much work, so Junho knew he had to do something about his dad’s company. Even with all this sorrow inside him, Junho had to come up with a plan because many people worked for the prosecutor and had to be reassured that their livelihood would not be in danger; Junho had no plans to destroy something that his dad has been working on all of his life. Thus, he had to find someone within the company who’d act as his right hand, managing things for him and reporting everything back. That was his task for today.

“Junho...” A familiar voice pulls him out of his thoughts, and he sees Minjun entering the bathroom casually since Junho forgot to close the door. Minjun notices him in the bathtub and glances away immediately. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were bathing.”

“It’s fine. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” Junho says flatly. Unfazed by his unexpected entrance, Junho leans towards the bodyguard, his forearms on top of the damp bathtub edge, a thin layer of bubbles still covering him. He feels numb these days, a self-defence mechanism he developed right before the funeral. In his final letter, his dad told him to let himself feel grief, but Junho feels like that’s impossible if he wants to keep going with his life like he used to before. “What is it?”

“When are we leaving?” Minjun returns his gaze to Junho, arms folded on his chest. He hasn’t put the holster on yet, his white button-up shirt tucked into black dress slacks.

“In fifteen minutes, I think. Can you get me the towel?” 

Minjun raises his eyebrow quizzically and Junho nods towards the hook right beside the bodyguard, a white towel hung there. “Have you ever been to dad’s house before?” Junho asks as Minjun approaches him with the towel.

“No. Only his office.” He gives the towel to Junho and turns around while the engineer stands up and wraps the soft cloth around his hips.

“Do you remember the address?” Junho walks up beside him and grabs another towel, drying his hair and upper body slowly. Minjun briefly squints a little.

“No.”

“Give me your phone.” Junho throws the towel away and extends his palm, waiting for Minjun to unlock the phone and put it on Junho’s palm. “Okay…” Junho opens the map app and starts typing in the address for Minjun. “It’s in a very serene location near a forest. I’m surprised you haven’t been there before.” Junho looks up and gives the phone back to the bodyguard, who focuses on the device, analysing the route.

“Well, I’m _your_ bodyguard. You never took me there and I had no reason to go on my own before, so…” He glances at Junho, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “It’s on you.”

Junho looks away, hands on his hips. “Yeah… I’d always meet him either at his office, my house, or some restaurant… Wow, I’m a terrible son.” He looks down, a self-deprecating smirk on his face.

“What matters is that you did see him, not where.” Minjun’s palm grips Junho’s bicep. “Don’t be so harsh on yourself.” Junho dips his head slightly, pressing his lips tighter. “I’ll wait downstairs.”

 

+

 

Junho hasn’t really been outside of his house since the funeral; he chose to spend those days peacefully, allowing himself to heal mentally. Even the lawyer at his father’s company who was responsible for the inheritance documents was asked to come to Junho’s house, and Sunmi was kindly obliging.

It’s refreshing to see something other than the walls of his house and even makes Junho feel slightly lighter. The Hyundai is following close behind, the two cars entering a rich neighbourhood with a lot of tall trees. Junho squeezes the hem of his black sweater, watching the cloudy sky as raindrops fall down slowly. The heat wave was gone as quickly as if someone had ordered it, and unexpectedly chilly weather made an appearance instead. It suits Junho’s gloomy mood better anyway, so he’s quite content with the change.

The gate opens for them, a guard waving at Minjun promptly. Junho decided to keep a few guards there, just in case. The Serpent might want to sneak into the house and blow it up or something. Or maybe not. Perhaps his paranoia was getting out of control. Anyhow, Junho didn’t want to take any chances. It felt better knowing the house is safe until he figures out what to do with it.

The grass in the yard is lush and green, a few cherry trees and voluptuous bushes decorating the area. Minjun parks the SUV near the garage on the right side of the house. They get off the car and Junho stands idly for a while in the drizzle, taking in the view he hadn’t seen for a while. The exterior of the house has a Mediterranean vibe: light alabaster walls with tall arched windows, paired with decorative dark moss-green shutters. The entrance is framed by two small ornamental olive trees in terracotta vases on each side and a balcony above. The house is quite big for one person, but it was built back when Junho’s mom was still pregnant with him and the idea was to live there as a proper family. Perhaps he might have had a younger sibling… Junho would never know. In any case, the house was lovely and had a warm vintage vibe, quite unusual for this neighbourhood full of modern-looking houses.

Junho unlocks the door and they enter the vestibule, a familiar indescribable scent invading Junho’s nostrils. Yes, it’s home.

He used to play with toy cars in this entryway. Because he was such an active kid, he once fell down the round staircase, too. Junho used to steal sweets from the kitchen and learned early on that barging into his dad’s office was a bad idea. His own room was his kingdom, and his dad didn’t criticize him much about his own interior choices (band posters, toys, and all those things that screamed Junho’s personality and, occasionally, chaos), but the rest of the house was like a museum. Maybe his dad wanted to keep the house the way it was intended to be since, most likely, his wife chose the interior and all the details. Now, it’s up to Junho to preserve everything, in memory of his parents.

He leads the way to the second floor where his dad’s office is located and opens the door, stopping in the doorway for a moment. Wood dominates the interior of this room. Junho was always fascinated by the number of books stacked in bookshelves almost to the ceiling, giving the room sort of a fancy academic library aesthetic. The large desk that dominates the room looks particularly heavy and exquisite; it must’ve been hard to find something so unique.

Junho swallows hard, reminding himself what he came here for: to choose someone to manage the company. Junho had to learn more about the employees there, and he was sure his dad must’ve kept some sort of a file case with everyone’s resumes and other details. His dad was that type of person who’d keep detailed notes about important things, so Junho put his trust in his dad’s OCD-like tendencies.

“You okay?” Minjun asks from behind.

“Yeah.” Junho walks into the room and glances at a cabinet with huge drawers. “You can start looking there, I’ll check the desk.”

“On it.” Minjun walks past him and starts digging through the drawers as Junho makes his way to the desk and sits on a comfortable leather chair.

It feels wrong to dig through his father’s things because his dad usually would separate himself from the world in here, working on his cases and whatnot. Junho had never even tried to explore his office because he knew his dad would notice any little change and then scold him. Now, he has no other choice but to explore.

He checks a tall drawer and finds a safe installed there. Along with the inheritance documents came a notebook with various security codes. So, the code for this safe must be somewhere in it. Junho pulls out the notebook and starts reading when he suddenly gets interrupted by a thud in front of him.

“I think you might want to see this,” Minjun says, a sympathetic gaze focused on Junho.

There’s a white box in his vision and he recognises his dad’s handwriting immediately.

_The Wedding._

Junho exhales through his nose, touching the lid. He stands up slowly and removes the top of the box.

His parents are smiling at him, holding each other in an apple orchard. Junho picks up the photo and is in awe of how stunning his mom looks: a long, white silk dress, her slim waist accentuated with a thick ribbon, the top part of the dress slightly baggy and falling in beautiful wavy creases around her chest. The dress is nothing too ornate, rather the beauty of it lies in its simplicity. His father wears a dark three-piece suit, but what’s more important is how happy he looks. The idyllic sight squeezes his heart and Junho sighs. Then he remembers he never showed Minjun a photo of his mom even though he said he would.

“I forgot to show you the photos of her I have at home.” He looks to his right where the bodyguard is standing, his gaze focused on the photo in Junho’s hands. There’s a soft smile on Minjun’s face as he glances at Junho.

“It’s fine. She looks gorgeous. You really do look so much alike, especially your smile. But I bet you already knew that.” Minjun nudges Junho’s shoulder lightly.

“That kind of sounded like an indirect compliment.” Junho allows himself to be pulled in by Minjun’s playfulness. He has that power, even in a seemingly sensitive moment like this.

“I can be direct, too. But I don’t like stating the obvious.” Junho rolls his eyes.

“Sometimes being direct is the only way to go.” He puts the photo back in the box.

“Are you fishing for compliments now?” Minjun leans on the table, raising an eyebrow.

“What if I am?”

Minjun stares at him, clearly considering the challenge, a suspicious expression decorating his face. “Okay. You’re pretty like a daffodil crossbred with a cat.”

Junho snorts so loud he almost ejects snot from his nose, and chuckles. “What the fuck is that monstrosity supposed to look like?!” He stares at Minjun’s satisfied face, calming down momentarily. “What kind of a compliment is this?”

“The one that makes you laugh.” Minjun tilts his head slightly, a gentle smile directed at Junho. It makes Junho’s heart flutter, realising Minjun just wanted to lift his mood.

“I’ll accept it, for now.” Junho looks away and puts the lid back on. “I’ll take it home. Now, I need to find the code for that thing.” He waves at the safe and goes back to reading the contents of the notebook.

Minjun leans in and points his finger at a four digit code with _‘home office drawer’_ written beside it. “Must be that one.”

Junho presses the numbers on the digital pad and a round green light flashes, indicating that access has been granted. He opens the safe and finds a hefty amount of cash and a few file cases. He flips through them until a certain case catches his eyes.

_Employees._

Junho puts it on the table and opens it, flipping through papers, scanning through photos and text. His dad really did have everything organised meticulously. “That makes my job easier.” Junho stands up and walks around the desk, looking at the wooden floor. “Let’s lay out all the data on the floor.” Minjun comes closer and takes half of the documents from Junho.

They quickly lay them out in the shape of a square and come back to each other, staring down at their work. “I’ll need your opinion on this.” Junho gazes at the 34 profiles.

“Yeah?”

“Since you’re so good at choosing trainees for your own company, help me pick someone who’d be a good general manager for dad’s company.”

“What are your requirements?” Minjun gets into business mode immediately, both of them kneeling to get a better look.

“Ambitious, versatile, brave. Smart, of course. With a good sense of judgement.” Junho scans through the characterizations, Minjun doing the same beside him. “At first, I thought about choosing my dad’s colleague, Park Jinyoung, but I have my doubts. He’s too involved with the case as a victim.”

“True, him being responsible for the company could be risky since he might get attacked again, and then you’d have to find another general manager. Better someone who’s not involved with the case.” Minjun lays out his arguments and Junho nods.

Then, his eyes stop on a young woman’s face, and at the same time, both of them point at it. They look at each other, smiling. “Great minds think alike,” Junho says and takes the file, sitting back on his heels, feeling Minjun’s arm pressing against his as he leans in to read more thoroughly.

“She brought the inheritance documents. Lee Sunmi,” Minjun says.

“Yeah. She’s still very young, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that dad apparently thought highly of her and her skills.” Junho reads fragments of her bio out loud. “Assisted on a few serious cases while still at university… Showed great ambition at work… Likes a challenge… Very intelligent… Sounds like a great candidate.” Junho feels motivation rise in him, reading her profile. Sunmi sounds like she could inspire people, and that’s what Junho wants from a good leader. She also appeared to be very professional during their short encounter, so he set his mind to giving her this huge promotion.

“I think she’ll do well,” Minjun agrees.

“Okay, we can go to the company and make an announcement.” Junho stands up, Minjun following suit.

“You’re not going to stay here for a bit longer?” Minjun asks. Junho looks at him, a little surprised.

“Uh, no. It’s better if I don’t dwell on memories right now.” His eyes dart away from the bodyguard, a bittersweet smile taking shape on Junho’s face.

“Okay,” Minjun says in an understanding tone and starts collecting the papers off the floor, Junho helping him simultaneously.

When they leave, Junho takes the box with the photos in it, noticing it contains more than just wedding photos. He’ll look through them when he feels like it won’t hurt as much.

 

+

 

Sunmi accepts Junho’s proposal, her face calm, but she was undoubtedly satisfied with the sudden promotion. Junho is sure she will rise rapidly in the justice world, seeing so much ambition and determination in her eyes. He loves working with people like her who inspire him to be a much better boss and engineer.

Everyone is gathered in a meeting room with a huge oval table, some people standing as there are not enough chairs for everyone. They’re looking at Junho expectantly; a few of them have compassion in their gazes. Everyone’s dealing with his father’s, their boss’s death differently, but it’s obvious he had his employees’ respect.

Junho glances at Minjun, who’s standing nearby and gives Junho a slight nod of encouragement. It seems like all the employees are more than ready to hear what Junho has to say and it puts a certain pressure on him. The general feeling in this office is so much different from DSMN Robotics. His employees seem to be much more laid-back, while here, he can sense an aura of strictness.

“My dad was very hard-working, as I’m sure you know best,” he begins, clasping his hands together. Talking about him like this publicly feels odd. It sort of cements the fact that from now Junho will have to speak on his behalf. He exhales, calming himself. “I’m sure you’re wondering what’s going to happen now, and I’m here to deliver some news to you.” The faces before him are fully engrossed in his speech. “Nothing big is going to happen; everything will stay the same, pretty much. However, one thing must change. As you know, I’m not a lawyer and I have a company of my own, so I cannot effectively sit on two chairs at the same time. With that being said, I’d like to announce that I’ve chosen a general manager who will be responsible for everything going on in this company. This person will report everything to me, but ultimately, she will be in charge as my right hand. She’s burning with passion for this job, so I’m happy to announce that the position of the general manager belongs to Lee Sunmi.” People seem to be surprised by the news, but they start clapping nonetheless, accepting Junho’s decision. Junho notices Mr. Park in the corner, his arms folded below his chest, seemingly not too thrilled about the announcement. Shit, Junho will have to talk to him. He probably expected to be chosen (if he had any ideas about that at all), being the oldest employee here, his dad’s right hand, basically.

Sunmi offers her short speech, thanking Junho for his trust and expressing how hard she will work to prove she’s worthy of the position. It’s a relief to see her so fired up.

When people start abandoning the meeting room, Junho has a couple of words with a few passing by, and after that, he finally walks over to Jinyoung. “You don’t look too excited,” he states bluntly. Mr. Park turns to him, licking his lips briefly.

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect you to choose someone so young and inexperienced. I’ve been working with your father for many years, and I believe I have more experience handling things over here…” His slightly condescending tone irritates Junho. He seemed like a more relaxed man when his dad was alive. Is he grieving like this? Or is he really that bitter about Junho choosing a young woman for this position?

“My dad didn’t think she was inexperienced. From what I gather, she did a lot of great work, _especially_ considering her age. I trust my dad’s opinion.”

“Really? I just think you don’t trust me because I’m involved with the case.”

“You almost were kidnapped once, and you’re still in danger. I don’t want to put the company in jeopardy in case they decide to try again. No offence intended. Just looking out for you and the company.” Junho is not here for this passive-aggressive behaviour, and he’s definitely not going to explain himself to this man anymore, even though he was a very close colleague to his father. In a way, Junho is saving him from all the trouble. Mr. Park’s ambition must take a backseat.

“No, I think you don’t want to trust me because recently, your father became quite paranoid and imposed that paranoia on other people, including you. No offence.” Junho’s nostrils flare. Even if this man is hurt, he still shouldn’t be talking like this.

“I don’t want to further this conversation any longer, so I’m going to ask you just one thing: am I going to have a problem with you?” Junho is so done with him; he hates confrontations.

Mr. Park stares at him sternly as he leans in slightly and speaks quietly. “Junho, I’m not your enemy. However, if you think about putting your trust in the right people, perhaps you should reconsider someone else who’s very close to you.”

Junho frowns. “What are you talking about?”

“Like your personal bodyguard. Do you really think you know him?” Junho’s heart swells uncomfortably. “What if the person who’s supposed to protect you is really working for someone else? He gains your trust, acts like he really cares about your wellbeing, maybe stages an assault to make himself look good in your eyes… then, he hears about your father’s plans and sends information to the enemy, allowing them to poison him. The Serpent has no heart, and they can sacrifice their own to get the job done. The way I see it, he might be the puppet master while you’re the puppet. How does the information get leaked, huh? He’s always with you, listening. Just think about that and be careful.” Jinyoung turns around and leaves Junho with a heavy and nasty feeling in his stomach.

Minjun as the Serpent’s spy? Staging the assault? Putting on a caring act? All of that just to gain Junho’s and his dad’s trust? Junho feels nauseous at the thought. It makes him feel so dirty, he cannot even look at his bodyguard standing by the door, talking to Sunmi.

Junho leans on the wall, playing it all out in his head. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, Jinyoung’s thoughts make some sense. No, this is bullshit, just the ramblings of a bitter man. This can’t be real, right?

Junho feels his hands tremble a little, a wave of unsettling thoughts building in his mind. Shit, he needs to go home. Now. He’s tired and needs to think this through. His head is almost spinning.

Junho rushes past Minjun like he doesn’t even exist and earns a perplexed gaze from Sunmi, but he doesn’t really care. Minjun follows him as Junho strides towards the car and takes his place on the backseat. 

The seed of doubt Jinyoung planted in Junho starts growing rapidly—the thought of betrayal riles him up. Junho feels like he’s about to experience a second heartbreak in the span of a week. He had been betrayed by Chansung, but a betrayal by Minjun would truly break him. 

Junho glances at the rear-view mirror and finds Minjun staring at him, his brow furrowed with concern, seemingly trying to figure out what the hell has gotten into Junho.

The hour-long trip back home continues in an awkwardly heavy silence, despite the loud train of disturbing thoughts gaining speed in Junho’s mind. Junho jumps out of the car as soon as it stops in his yard.

Minjun is right there behind him when they enter the house and Junho loses it internally, an anxiety attack taking hold.

“Okay, you’re freaking me out.” Minjun catches Junho’s arm right when he’s about to flee upstairs, pulling him more towards the kitchen. Junho’s heartbeat races, feeling a tight grip around his bicep. “What the hell is going on?” Junho shakes off Minjun’s hand harshly, staring at him, not knowing what to say exactly. Should he just straight up ask if he’s a fucking traitor? How do you confront someone with these allegations that, honestly, make some sense. Junho has no goddamn idea how he should act.

“Are you lying to me?” Junho hisses.

“Lying? What are you talking about?” Minjun looks taken aback by his words.

“Are you a part of the Serpent?”

Minjun blinks, processing the accusation. Junho notices anger rising in his eyes. “What the hell are you implying?” Minjun almost growls.

“Have you been pretending to be on my side this entire time? Are you a fucking Serpent?” Junho feels his body tremble, seeing the hurt in Minjun’s dark orbs, staring right at him in disbelief.

“Junho, do you even realise how fucking terrible that accusation sounds?” Disappointment seeps through his low tone and Junho gulps, complete chaos in his head and heart.

“Just fucking answer me!” Junho yells out desperately, and Minjun glances away, gritting his teeth. This pained look is terrible on Minjun and makes Junho feel guilty for imposing it on him, but he needs to be sure. He needs to know his trust hasn’t been misplaced, blinded by this hopeless love for the man.

He watches Minjun as the bodyguard walks closer to him, an icy expression giving Junho the chills. Minjun removes the holster, drops it on the floor, and starts unbuttoning his white shirt, staring Junho straight in the eyes. The engineer swallows hard, perplexed by this act of seemingly random undressing.

“What are you doing?” he asks nervously. Minjun is almost done with the buttons, but he doesn’t answer. Junho’s breathing quickens when Minjun throws the shirt on the floor, his bronze skin almost glowing under the warm evening sunlight in the kitchen. Under any other circumstances, this would be a welcomed view, but Minjun’s demeanour is one of pure fury mixed with distress, so he almost stops breathing when the bodyguard snatches Junho’s hand and presses it to the long vertical scar on his upper arm.

“Does this look or feel fake to you?” Minjun asks brusquely, allowing Junho feel the bumpy scar tissue beneath his sweaty palm. The engineer can’t find the right words, his mind finally clearing a little. “If that’s not enough, or if you still think I’m putting on a very elaborate act to fool you, let me show you something else.” Junho gulps, following Minjun’s hand with his eyes as the latter pulls on the hem of his pants, dragging it and his underwear a little below his protruding hip bone, exposing it to Junho’s shocked eyes. He sees a thin, pale horizontal scar, but his view is then blocked when Minjun grabs Junho’s hand and presses it to this newly found scar, feeling the hot skin beneath. “Feels pretty real, doesn’t it? I got it while protecting you in Singapore. A bullet grazed me, but I didn’t tell you anything because you were already suffering a huge shock. I thought I’d keep this to myself since the wound itself was just a scratch. However, had I moved a little more to the side, I’d have had a bullet in my hip. Maybe both of us would be dead.” Minjun lifts his hand off Junho’s hand, which stays there, unmoving. “Did I answer your ridiculous question?”

To say Junho feels like a huge lump of shit would be an understatement. The seed of distrust rots away immediately, and now Junho’s left with guilt for accusing Minjun of something so terrible when he was the one who stayed by Junho’s side during his hardest moments. He allowed Jinyoung’s words to poison his mind, and he can’t believe he became so weak. He jumped to horrible conclusions and exploded like a landmine. And as he gazes at Minjun’s face, he sees disappointment and a look of betrayal. Junho betrayed him and his trust. He opened up to Junho quite a few times and did everything to make him feel better, and this is how the engineer repays him. Junho wants to smash his head against a wall.

“Fuck…” he whispers, his eyes darting all over Minjun’s body, still holding onto his hip, unable to let go of the anchor to sanity. “I’m sorry. I’m a fucking mess. I… I just… I’m a fucking idiot.” He feels tears collecting in his eyes as he finally dares to look at Minjun’s face. “Please, forgive me.” Junho touches the side of Minjun’s neck with his free hand and presses his forehead to Minjun’s, tears escaping his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. Minjun lets out a shaky exhale through his nose, Junho feeling the air on his lips instantly. The lack of Minjun’s arms around him is suffocating: he’s still pissed off.

Minjun turns his head away, breathing heavily, probably considering his words very carefully as Junho holds onto him desperately, staring at his profile from up close. Minjun licks his lips.

“I know you’re under a lot of stress,” he says quietly, a little calmer this time. “But I never thought you could actually even entertain an idea like this. It really hurts to know you don’t trust me enough.”

“No, I do! I really do!” Minjun looks back at him, eyebrows scrunched a little. “It’s just, what he told me got me so riled up, I just kind of lost all rationality. It’s _because_ I trust you so much. I was so appalled by the idea of betrayal, it fucking consumed me like an infection. I’m an imbecile. I’m a goddamn idiot who didn’t want to hurt or offend you but I did. I’m so sorry, I can’t apologise enough.”

Minjun sighs, touching Junho’s hand latched on his neck. “Please tell me who came up with this conspiracy theory.”

“It was Jinyoung. He was pissed off I didn’t choose him as the general manager and started talking shit about you, putting ideas into my head.”

“Fucking prick,” Minjun curses, glancing away. “So, he decided to mess with you, perfectly knowing you’re in a rather delicate and vulnerable state.” Junho lowers his arms, placing his hands in his pockets, chewing on his lower lip. He’d been holding onto Minjun for an indecently long time. The bodyguard fixes his underwear and pants in the meantime, staring down. “Never liked him anyway,” Minjun admits.

“Is there a particular reason?”

“Not really. It’s that thing when you see someone and develop an instant dislike for some reason. The feeling stuck with me.” Junho remembers his instant dislike towards Minjun and how his feelings have changed since then. He could’ve never guessed it’d be like this one day, wanting Minjun’s company, even craving it. Right now, he really wants to wrap his arms around Minjun’s bare torso and apologise with a passionate kiss.

“So…do you forgive me?” Minjun stares at him, a hint of a mischief in his neutral expression, but he doesn’t say anything. “This crossbred daffodil with a cat’s face would like to receive your forgiveness,” Junho pleads.

Minjun snorts and bends down to pick up his shirt off the floor.

“I didn’t say the daffodil had a cat’s face. Maybe it has a cat’s butt for a face.”

“Is it because I talk shit?” Junho extracts a laugh from Minjun.

“You said it, not me.” Minjun hangs the shirt over his shoulder.

“So…?”

Minjun’s tongue darts out of his mouth briefly, licking the corner of his lip. Junho almost doesn’t care about the forgiveness, now completely engrossed in ogling his bodyguard. It’s impressive how quickly the mood changes when Junho’s with him. “Turn around,” Minjun commands, earning a confused glance from the engineer. “Do you trust me?”

“Yeah.”

“Turn around, then.” Junho gets a little nervous, but he does as he’s told and turns around. “Close your eyes,” Minjun says and Junho shuts his eyelids obediently. “Now, fall backwards.”

“What?!” Junho screeches and looks back at Minjun. “Do you want me to split my head open?”

“No, it’s called a trust fall. I will catch you.” Minjun puts the shirt on the counter, widening his arms to make a point. Junho would like to protest this, but he can’t, not this time.

“Fine,” he grumbles. “I’m suing you if you don’t catch me.” He closes his eyes.

“I’ll catch you,” Minjun says confidently.

“This is actually scary.” Junho composes himself. Putting trust in someone isn’t easy. What’s harder, though, is to keep someone else’s trust in him. Junho wants to gain Minjun’s trust back, so he will do anything to prove he’s worthy of that trust. Even if it’s daunting.

The moment of the dreadful blind freefall makes Junho’s guts twist, and he thinks he’s about to crash against the floor, but his body suddenly stops falling, two strong arms wrapped around his chest from behind. Minjun steadies him and Junho feels his heart pump blood furiously, so he melts against Minjun’s body, breathing a little faster than usual.

“I forgive you,” Minjun voice flows right into Junho ear, making the hair on his body raise instantly. It takes all of Junho’s strength to keep himself from turning around and getting a taste of Minjun’s lips, so he holds onto the bodyguard’s hands clasped a little below his chest, willing his heart calm down a little. “Are you okay?” Minjun asks, when Junho doesn’t say anything back.

“Uh, yeah, I’m just trying to get myself together. Falling like this isn’t the best feeling in the world.”

“I know.” Minjun releases his hold around Junho and the latter turns around. “I think Wooyoung should look into this Park Jinyoung. The way he chose to twist your distrust onto me makes him look very shady.”

“Or maybe he’s just very bitter being beaten by a young woman.”

“Maybe.” Minjun shrugs. “Maybe not. I’ll call Wooyoung. Better to be safe than sorry.” Minjun picks up his shirt and the holster. “You’re not stupid, by the way. You were manipulated by him, and it’s easy to manipulate someone who’s suffering.” The bodyguard holds the items in his arms closer to his chest. “You should warn Sunmi about his manipulative tendencies.”

“I will.” Minjun nods and withdraws to his room, Junho’s eyes following him until he disappears around the corner.

Junho is a complete mess. He still feels grief, but he’s able to laugh when he’s with Minjun. He gives into his emotions way too easily these days, and that’s what allowed Mr. Park to manipulate him. Minjun is right—the older man used the engineer’s inner turmoil against him. It almost ruined their friendship, but thanks to Minjun’s forgiving nature, everything’s fine. Probably.

Junho has a hunch it might have affected Minjun more than he lets on. It’s just that Junho must have looked like the embodiment of pandemonium, which possibly prompted Minjun to say he forgives him, but does he, really? Junho feels burdened by the thought and decides to go back to work tomorrow, to busy himself to forget these troubling things. Maybe focusing on his job can make him sort it all out. Yet, he still craves Minjun’s affection the most, wishing he could take back those offensive words he said so carelessly. He must get his feelings under control somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wasn't the end of this chapter quite intense? hehe. leave me a comment with your thoughts *w*


	11. A Bridge

[ ](https://imgur.com/AvSuJVu)

 

Coming back to work was a good idea. It’s been a couple of days already and Junho can feel things falling into place. Little by little, his emotions are settling, as focusing on his job seems to do the trick. However, he’s still not doing well with sleeping. Khun gives him worried glances, making comments about dark circles under his eyes, but Junho always assures him he’s fine. 

He doesn’t tell anyone that during his insomnia hours, he pulls out his laptop and works on new schemes for his latest invention: a tiny tracking device capable of moving, as well as recording video and sound. The aim of this project is to make it resemble a beetle bug, so it won’t raise any suspicions, but the hardest task is to make the parts fit the tiny shell of the device. The engineer has this wild idea to enable the thing to move by controlling it remotely, like a drone. The concept of the beetle bug was born right after his father’s death when Junho was thinking of ways to help Wooyoung with the case. If Junho can help hasten the process of throwing the bad guys in prison, he’s willing to sacrifice his leisure and put his mind to it wholeheartedly. So, Junho is focused on the bug, allowing him to regain a sense of control over his feelings while his attention is focused on his hopefully soon-to-be-born invention. 

Or for the most part. There’s still the issue of the person beside him who has the ability to distract him. Involuntarily, Minjun’s presence brings a rush of excitement into the engineer’s daily routine. Be it a glance his way, a gentle touch on his back, a change in his voice, or a sonorous and easily contagious laugh; it all results in Junho having a hard time controlling his feelings for the man. 

Anyhow, Junho has noticed a slight change in his behaviour. After the unfortunate accusation, Minjun seems to be a little more reserved, and it bothers Junho. To anyone else, it probably wouldn’t mean much, or they wouldn’t notice, but the engineer has observed that Minjun is not as keen on physical contact as he used to be before — he seems to be keeping a little bit of distance. Junho feels starved of those small touches and he doesn’t have any clue how to make himself stop feeling so down about it. He can’t order his brain to feel this or that. These thoughts consume his brain at night as well. He just wants everything to be the way it was before he got influenced by the goddamn Jinyoung.

 

+

 

The hairstylist completes the finishing touches. Staring at his own reflection in the mirror, Junho feels like a new man; he’s back to black hair colour, his hair in a stylish mess. He’s not the type of person who changes his hair according to his mood, but it felt like the right time to ditch his caramel locks and go with something more natural. Also, lightening hair is a bitch and he has no time for that.

Junho pays the hairstylist and pokes Minjun’s back. He’s standing by the window, analysing people walking along the pavement, seemingly relaxed since it’s the weekend. It’s sizzling outside, sun and humidity combining their forces once again to prove that summer has finally completely taken over the country. Minjun turns around, his white sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hands in pockets.

“The daffodil is gone,” Junho says, half-smile on his face, noticing a shift in Minjun’s curious gaze as he takes in Junho’s new look. There’s a hint of admiration in the bodyguard’s eyes, making Junho breathe in a little sharper.

“Black fang takes over, I guess.” Minjun grins slightly.

“Black fang?” Junho arches his eyebrow, confused.

“It’s a type of begonia. It has black leaves and tiny white needles on the edges. Couldn’t think of any other naturally black plant at the moment,” Minjun explains.

“How come you know so much about flowers?” Junho is honestly in awe of Minjun’s botanical knowledge. Sure as hell didn’t take him for a gardener. The bodyguard is always full of surprises. 

“My mom forced me to help her in the garden when I was little. Haven’t seen a bigger flower nerd than her, so as a result, I know some stuff. She was so disappointed when she saw I had no interest in gardening, and yet she still kept dragging me with her.” He chuckles, looking away, probably remembering his childhood. Instantly, Junho imagines a little Minjun, pouting at his mom, surrounded by flowers. It makes Junho press his lips in a reminiscent smile.

“Sounds fun.” Deep in thought, Junho answers in a rather neutral tone and Minjun’s eyes come back to him, his gaze cautious.

“Sorry, I probably shouldn’t talk about my parents…” Junho realises he must’ve looked like he was upset or something. In truth, he’s not. Listening to snippets of Minjun’s life actually makes him feel warm inside, not jealous. Of course, he wishes things were different, but that doesn’t make him stop wanting to learn more about what Minjun’s childhood was like.

“Not at all, I like hearing your stories. Don’t omit anything for my sake, because it’s completely unnecessary. Your parents are alive, so celebrate it. Just because my parents are dead doesn’t mean I can’t stand seeing someone else happy because they still have theirs. If anything, it creates a rather cosy image in my head, too.” Junho assures with a confident smile, his lips pressed tightly. “Shall we go?” he asks, eager to drop this topic. Minjun nods, barely visible concern gone from his face.

Junho puts his sunglasses on when they’re outside and decides to take an alleyway to the car to hide from the sun in the shadows of surrounding buildings. Wearing a black t-shirt is quite daring on a hot day like this, but at least he made a good choice when he chose white shorts instead of jeans. 

Walking along in the cooler shadows, Junho touches his hair unconsciously, feeling soft strands against his fingers when a soft _meow_ reaches his ears. He stops immediately, looking for the source. 

“What is it?” Minjun asks, also looking around concerned.

“I heard a cat.”

The bodyguard snorts. “You’re hearing cat voices now? Your obsession is taking a drastic turn.”

“No, seriously, I heard a cat.” Minjun stares at him, humour behind the dark orbs.

“Okay, let’s listen carefully, then.” He plays along.

They stand idly, scanning the area, when another soft _meow_ comes from somewhere close. Junho turns to Minjun slowly, grinning triumphantly. “Who’s hearing cat voices now?”

“I’m scared for the cat when you find it. You’re going to suffocate it with your excessive affection.” Minjun smirks.

“Oh, shut up.” Junho waves his arm dismissively and starts walking away, looking for the cat and ignoring Minjun’s mischievous look.

Junho starts calling to the cat and hears more muffled meowing, sounding like it must be stuck somewhere, asking for help.

Soon enough, he finds a box with a few holes in it. “Bastards abandoned the poor animal in a box during this weather. Unbelievable.” Junho rips the lid open and sees two bright yellow eyes looking at him from a ball of black fur. His heart aches at the view because the kitten looks like it’s been starved, bones peeking through the dull fur. “Oh no… Who did this to you?” Junho places his large hands around the tiny cat and takes it out of the box, pressing the small creature against his chest gently. Honestly, he could cry right now, but he holds it in, feeling sorry for the animal.

The cat looks grateful to be finally out of its confinement, purring in Junho’s arms, nuzzling its face against Junho’s chin. He can already feel a bond forming between them. The cat is so adorable Junho almost melts. Then, he looks at Minjun, who folds his arms on his chest, an all-knowing smile before Junho.

“I guess this is your pet now,” Minjun concludes.

“We need to go to a vet,” Junho deadpans and starts walking fast, worried for the cat.

“I know someone,” Minjun says, catching up to Junho, making their way to where they’re parked.

“Cool. Let’s go there, then.”

 

+

 

The vet’s name is Sohee and she’s very sweet, informing Junho that other than dehydration and malnutrition, the kitten is fine and it’s actually a girl, a couple of months old, still very young. She gave her shots and medicine for worms and fleas, instructing Junho how to take care of his new pet. The more he looks at the cat, the more he starts to believe in destiny. He could really use this cutie to relieve some of his anxiety, already imagining cuddling with her in his bed.

“How’s Audrey doing?” Sohee asks Minjun, the name surprising Junho. Who is Audrey?

“She’s doing great. Last week, she ate one of mom’s favourite flowers, so dad was acting as the peacemaker.” Minjun chuckles, leaning against the counter in the procedure room. “But you know her, she can’t stay mad at her precious dog.” Junho breathes out easier. So, there’s a dog in his parents’ house.

“You never told me you had a dog.” Junho strokes the cat’s fur.

“Ah, really?” Minjun glances at him, slightly surprised. “Well, it’s not my dog, technically. It was a birthday gift from me to mom. Audrey’s a small poodle. Hold on.” Minjun pulls out his phone and walks over to Junho. Then, he shows the screen to the engineer where he sees a photo of Minjun’s mom smiling with a little grey dog in her arms. They’re surrounded by flowers.

“You really can’t stay mad at something so cute,” Junho agrees, smiling.

“Right?” Sohee chimes in. “She’s a very lively dog, always fun to see her. I think it’s about the time for her check-up, isn’t it?” She stares at Minjun, running a hand through her black ponytail.

“Probably, mom knows better,” Minjun shrugs. “Anyway, thanks for the help.” Minjun hugs her briefly.

“No problem.” She glances at Junho. “So, I brought some essentials from the shop, this should do for now.” Sohee puts a bag full of cat items on the table. Apparently, she owns not only this animal clinic but also the shop joined to it, so it’s all very convenient. Minjun sure has good connections. “And here’s her travel crate.” Sohee unlatches and opens the gate door while Junho pets the cat’s back soothingly before trying to put her inside. The kitten looks spooked as they approach the crate, probably because the time she spent in the box was traumatising enough, so she is a bit more wiggly than expected. Nevertheless, with Junho’s and Sohee’s soothing sounds, she calms enough for Junho to put her in the box. Sohee quickly puts a little treat in for the black ball of fur before they shut the door. The vet gives Junho her business card. “If you need help, call me. She might be a little nervous for a couple of days, but I think she’ll get used to her new life quickly. So, don’t force your relationship for the time being.” Sohee grins.

“That might be difficult…” Minjun mumbles teasingly.

“Come on, I can keep my fingers off when I want to,” Junho whines and Sohee chuckles at their friendly banter.

“Well then, good luck with your new pet. Do you have a name for her?” the vet inquires, curious.

“Not yet. I’ll come up with something today.” Junho touches the metallic bars separating him from the cat. He feels so mellow, looking at his new family member.

“Ah, I see. Take your time.”

“Yeah, thanks a bunch.” Junho shakes her hand and takes the crate in his arms. “Can you grab the bag?” he asks Minjun and the latter complies wordlessly.

“See you around, Sohee,” Minjun says as she nods and opens the door for them. Junho’s so excited to bring his pet home.

 

+

 

They settle in the kitchen, Junho placing the crate on the floor. The cat looks a little bit curious, although still slightly timid. The engineer sits in front of the crate and sighs, hoping the cat won’t have too much trouble getting used to this place. It’s quite a big house, so it might look scary to the frightened animal at first.

“So, what are you going to name her?” Minjun squats beside him.

“Hmm… I don’t know… I’m not good with names.”

“Says a man who named his robot Alectrona,” Minjun snorts. “You’re creative, come on.” Junho exhales.

“Well, she’s black… Charcoal?” Minjun snickers at that.

“You know, with your current hair colour, you two match.” Minjun pokes at the crate, while Junho stares at his amused profile. “Her eyes kind of shine bright like a moon.” The bodyguard says, and his words click in Junho’s head.

“Myeongwol. Or just Wolie, for short,” Junho says matter-of-factly, his mind already set on the name.

“Really?” Minjun looks at him quizzically and Junho nods. “It fits her, honestly. Now I feel kind of responsible for the name.”

“That makes you her godfather.” Junho grins.

“Whatever you say, cat dad. I’m not naming the rest of your cats, though. Too much responsibility.”

“What makes you think I’m getting more?”

“Come on, you’re obsessed with cats. You keep staring at them with eyes full of longing, like some women do when they see a mother with a baby, craving to have one of their own. It’s only a matter of time before this house turns into a cat sanctuary, and you took the first step today.” Minjun’s teasing smile makes Junho scoff.

“Will you ever stop taunting me about this?” Junho whines, although he knows that what Minjun is saying is true. He’d gladly own more than just one cat.

“Only when you’re seriously against it.” Minjun stands up, making Junho shake his head in defeat. Yeah, he doesn’t really mind it. It’s kind of fun.

Junho opens the crate door. “Be free, my child.” He rises to his full height, waiting for Wolie’s paws to appear and take the first steps in this house. Soon, a black paw touches the cold floor, and Junho feels like a proud dad when Wolie finally leaves the crate, ready to explore the unfamiliar place: her new home.

Junho lets her roam in peace as he was told to do so by Sohee. At the same time, the lack of sleep catches up to him now that the rush of excitement is finally subsiding. With Minjun’s help, he takes care of the food and water bowls. He got two litter boxes for Wolie, one of which he placed in a bathroom on the first floor. The second one will surely be in his own bathroom, already planning on how Wolie will spend her nights with him. Well, at least he hopes she will.

Junho carries the empty litter box in one hand and the bag of litter in another. When he takes a step on the staircase, a terrible pain shoots through his calf, forcing him drop the things he had in his hands. He stumbles backwards and falls on his back clumsily. “Fuck!” he yells, rolling on his back and holding onto his cramping calf. This must be the worst cramp ever, making it even hard to breathe as he tries to endure it, the muscle spasming violently.

“What’s wrong?” He hears Minjun’s wary tone but can’t force his eyes open because the cramp is draining his energy rapidly.

“Fucking cramp. My calf.” Junho moans painfully, attempting to stabilise his breathing.

He feels Minjun’s hands on his bare leg. Junho manages to pry his eyes open, watching Minjun sit in a lotus position, placing Junho’s leg in his lap.

“It won’t be pleasant, but rough massage helps relax the muscle. Bear with me.” The bodyguard starts working on Junho’s calf, kneading hard and deep into the tissue.

“Haven’t had a cramp so bad in my life.” Junho wheezes. “Fuck…” He rubs his eyes, exhausted from the pain. Minjun’s fingers are precise as he massages the calf using a decent amount of force. It seems to be working, the pain subsiding slowly. Junho exhales a little lighter.

“First, you surprise me with your gardening knowledge. Now, apparently, you’re a masseur. Did you also learn that from your mom?” 

“No. When you spend weeks in rehab, you pick up a thing or two from the professionals who take care of you and your damaged body,” he explains. “You should take better care of yourself.” Minjun’s apprehensive tone makes Junho look at his slightly stern profile.

“I am,” he deflects, but Minjun just shakes his head and glances at Junho briefly.

“You can lie to yourself, but not to me. I can hear you walk around at night, you know. The dark circles under your eyes say a lot. You’ve lost weight. It’s like you’re becoming a robot, but you’re just a human, Junho.” Minjun licks his lips, focusing on Junho’s leg.

“Why are _you_ awake at night, though? I try to be quiet.” He attempts to change the subject, but Minjun just chuckles pensively.

“I have a lot of things on my mind sometimes. But this isn’t about me. It’s about you. It’s not only those things I’ve mentioned before — I also noticed you don’t eat properly. You used to order takeout food all the time, but not anymore. Is it because you’re afraid of being poisoned?” Minjun’s opaque eyes bore into Junho’s, making him feel like he’s on a huge platter on a display, like an exquisite human sushi roll. The engineer looks off to the side, while Minjun’s hands rests on his shin, done with the massage.

“It doesn’t matter,” Junho says quietly. Minjun really notices the smallest details. Once again, Junho is blown away by his perceptiveness. He thought no one would even notice those things. Junho himself didn’t even pay much attention, but when Minjun puts it that way, it does sound slightly problematic.

“Getting a cramp is just the beginning. You will crumble if you keep on pushing yourself like this.” Minjun leans in and his hand lands in front of Junho’s face as he’s lying on the floor. He feels so defenceless at the moment. “I know you’re trying hard to go on with your life like nothing’s happened but exhausting yourself along the way isn’t going to work. You will snap. You will get hurt. Don’t do this to yourself.” Minjun in no way sounds reprimanding; on the contrary, his tone reveals a certain softness, which somewhat irritates Junho. He turns his head to look at Minjun’s face staring at him from above.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” he hisses. “I can’t sleep. I’m fucking terrified I’ll be murdered when I expect it the least. I have so many responsibilities. I feel like I’m trapped in a fucking corner with no way out! Just like Wolie in that box.” He huffs.

Minjun stares at him in silence, his hand holding tighter onto Junho’s shin. He doesn’t know if it’s a deliberate action, but it almost feels like Minjun wants to reassure him it’s okay to feel like this. Junho sits up, chewing on his lower lip, craving for something he won’t have. Peace. And the man looking at him from up close. He dips his head lower.

“I think you should take Kwon’s offer to help you, he’s a psychologist, after all. You can’t pretend you don’t need help anymore. I can’t be your therapist; I can only support you through your hardships and make sure I do my job properly protecting you.” Minjun’s velvet voice slithers into his ears, making Junho knit his eyebrows, feeling sorry for himself. Shit, that’s his reality now. Pitying himself and drowning in that emotion. “Can you promise me you’ll talk to him?”

Junho lifts his head to face Minjun, his leg still in the bodyguard’s lap, both of them almost tangled in an odd shape. “I can’t,” Junho admits. He can still try to get better on his own, he must.

Minjun exhales heavily, leaning closer. “Junho…”

“I will think about it. That, I can promise.” He swallows hard, being in such close proximity with Minjun’s hand on his knee now is taking too much out of him. The bodyguard’s gaze is dark, unconsciously drawing Junho closer to him. Or is it the other way around? Maybe both.

“You’re too stubborn,” Minjun says, lowering his eyes from Junho’s, his gaze briefly running across the bottom part of Junho’s face. 

Then, as if he got a cramp of his own, Minjun pulls back suddenly, seemingly remembering something and clenching his teeth for a moment.

Wait. What the hell has just happened? Junho’s heartbeat accelerates, trying to comprehend that magnetising moment that was about to turn into something rather sensual. 

“You should buy some vitamins, at least.” Minjun clears his throat and stands up, extending his hand to Junho. “Is the cramp gone?”

“Yeah.” Junho grabs his hand and stands up, Minjun instantly slipping his hand out of Junho’s as soon as he’s standing straight.

“Get some rest; I’ll carry these to your room.” Minjun picks up the items off the floor that Junho had dropped earlier. He hops upstairs quickly, leaving Junho partially dumbfounded.

He sees Wolie staring at him, sitting on top of the fireplace. If only he could see everything through her eyes and draw the right conclusions. Because right now, it feels like they were about to kiss. It fucks with Junho’s mind and he retreats to his room, Minjun passing by him making his way downstairs casually.

Junho falls on his bed, his pulse still rather fast. The more he thinks about it, the more he finds it hard to calm down. Maybe it’s all in his head? Surely, Minjun just wanted to console him, like he always does. However, there was something else in his gaze and Junho can only describe it as…hunger.

“Fuck, I really must be out of my mind,” he whispers to himself. “I’m fucking losing it.” He slaps his face lightly, staring at the ceiling. Getting his feelings under control is going to be even harder if Minjun keeps being so damn ambiguous.

 

+

 

Wolie got used to her new life pretty quickly, although being shy turned out to be in her nature. Sometimes she’d sleep in Junho’s room, sometimes downstairs. One morning he noticed her staring at Minjun’s door. Honestly, Junho could totally relate. He’d love to sleep with him, too.

Minjun, on the other hand, seemed to act normal, as always. That captivating moment that left Junho with more questions than answers seemed like a very short dream that was meant to stay as one. Junho wrote off everything as profound fatigue and an overactive imagination.

His sleeping and eating were still not as good, but he stocked up on nutrition bars. That should help avoid future cramps, right? He sits back in his chair in the office, not so sure about the effectiveness of those nutrition bars. It’s only 11AM and he already feels drained. At least he’s done with the beetle bug scheme. Junho sends the documents to the printer and stands up, feeling slightly dizzy.

He glances and sees Minjun chatting with Khun. Probably developing another plan for how to force feed Junho. It’s been a couple of days since the cramp incident and Minjun had already conspired with Nichkhun behind Junho’s back, surprising him with Fei’s homemade lunch the day before. Junho then had no choice but to eat everything in front of them, like a goddamn prisoner. After that, he told Khun he’d remove his bonus if he tried something like that again. He didn’t want to feel indebted to his wife. It was his own problem and he’d deal with it on his own.

Junho picks up the blueprints and makes his way out of the office when his vision suddenly blurs. Before he can understand what’s happening, he finds himself falling, trying to hold onto the glass wall; instead, it somehow shatters, and that’s the last thing he sees before he blacks out completely with a sharp pain in his left arm.

 

+

 

He hears sirens blaring in the distance, although his body feels comfortable, lying somewhere soft and warm. The specific scent of medicine enters his nostrils. He can hear occasional voices and random noises coming from somewhere. Junho’s eyelids flutter open slowly, his vision taking time to clear up, and he realises he’s in a hospital bed. Seems to be night-time since the sky is pitch black outside. 

He feels discomfort in his left arm and glances at it, noticing a bandage wrapped below his elbow all the way to his wrist. Junho feels slightly dizzy and way too relaxed. He has an IV drip attached to his arm, his body dressed in a hospital gown. What the hell has happened to him? He remembers carrying documents and then…falling. Shit, did he faint?

Junho turns his head to the left towards the door and notices an occupied armchair nearby. Minjun is asleep with his legs placed on top of a small table in front of him. The engineer then takes a look at the bedside table and finds his phone there. He leans towards it and grabs the device, his mind getting a little clearer.

_1.15AM_

Fuck, he has been out for approximately 14 hours. He glances at his bandaged arm again, his brain registering he must’ve been injured when he fell, a memory of the glass wall shattering sliding into his brain. It feels so weird to be sleeping somewhere else other than his fortress. He stares at Minjun’s sleeping shape and concludes that he wouldn’t be sleeping if he didn’t have someone else watching the room from the corridor.

Junho really needs to use the bathroom.

He throws his legs over the edge of the bed and stands up slowly, holding onto the IV stand. “What are you doing?” Minjun’s alert voice startles him a little and he sees the bodyguard rising to his feet, making his way towards the still slightly lost Junho. He must be on some powerful sedative.

“I’m kind of about to piss myself. Whatever they put into that IV is coming out,” Junho jokes, but Minjun’s stern expression makes his smile fall.

“I’ll help you.” Minjun sneaks his arm around Junho’s waist and helps him to the bathroom.

“I can do the rest myself. Thanks.” Junho closes the door and shuffles to the toilet to relieve himself.

Minjun certainly doesn’t look overjoyed. It’s more like he’s ready to scold Junho and he knows why. It’s the conversation they had before, which Junho had back-handedly dismissed. Minjun sure is going to lecture him about how he should take better care of himself. Junho sighs, washing his hands and face, drinking some of the tap water from his palms and rinsing his mouth. It’s somewhat refreshing.

The bodyguard helps him back to the bed since Junho’s system is full of various drugs. When Junho settles in his sheets, Minjun sits on the side of the bed. Pale light from the headboard illuminates his brooding face, adding more mystery to his expression.

“Now you’re going to tell me, _‘I told you so’_ , aren’t you?” Junho’s already on the defensive. To his surprise, Minjun shakes his head and looks away. That’s odd. “No?”

“No,” the bodyguard says in a low voice.

“Okay, you’re being weird now.” Junho frowns slightly, Minjun’s still looking somewhere outside the window.

“I thought I failed again. And I did, in a way. You not only fainted, but you also sliced your arm on the broken glass. It could’ve ended much worse, and it didn’t only by sheer luck.” Hold on, is Minjun feeling guilty? Is he blaming himself for what happened? Junho sits up.

“Wait, what do you mean _‘again’_? You’ve never done anything wrong.”

“Your father,” he says quietly. 

“No, wait a minute. You’re blaming yourself for his death? You’ve been blaming yourself this entire time?” Junho almost yelps and Minjun looks down at his hands in his lap. Junho has never seen him so troubled. No, he did, the night he got the call. He looks exactly the same, although there’s more guilt in his lamenting expression right now. That, and Junho fainting and almost slashing more than his arm must’ve been the last drop for the bodyguard’s confidence. He must be blaming himself for not being perfect. 

“Hey, look at me.” Minjun stays idle, so Junho scoots closer and touches his face, lifting it so Junho can look at him properly. He rubs his thumb against Minjun’s cheek gently, cupping his jaw. He cannot stand seeing this expression soaked with guilt. “If you want my forgiveness, I can’t give it to you because there’s nothing to forgive. You can’t blame yourself for what happened. You can’t be perfect, because, like you’ve told me before, we’re just human. We have flaws; fuck, we all do no matter how hard we try. You’re not a psychic, Minjun. You cannot foresee the future. You’re not Superman either. But you should also remember how good you are; you’ve done so much for me. You saved my life. Isn’t that important?” Minjun’s eyes dart away from him. “What happened today is my fault. I should’ve listened to you. Had I done that, we wouldn’t be here right now. So, please stop blaming yourself for things you can’t prevent. We’re just human. That’s all.”

Minjun’s gaze finally finds its way back to Junho and he gives him a bittersweet smile, clenching Junho’s heart without touching it. “You could be a lawyer with strong arguments like that,” he says in a mellow tone and Junho smiles back, feeling gravity between them getting stronger.

Maybe because Minjun allowed himself to look so vulnerable in front of Junho, the engineer feels like there’s more to their relationship. All these things Minjun has done for him can’t be just because the bodyguard is a nice person, right? There must be more to it. Perhaps because he just wants them to be closer so badly, he read the signs incorrectly. Nevertheless, Junho’s done hiding in the shadows of doubt and second guessing. These powerful feelings he has for Minjun cannot be kept in secrecy anymore, so Junho let’s go of the chains that have been holding him back for the past few months.

He closes the gap between them and finally gets a taste of Minjun’s soft lips, pressing his own in a chaste kiss. Minjun doesn’t respond, so Junho pulls back slightly only to witness how sultry his half-lidded eyes look. This gives Junho the courage to continue and he cups the bodyguard’s face now with both hands, coming in for the second kiss.

Minjun responds this time, his breath on Junho’s lips a little shaky. Junho cannot believe this is actually happening; he could die from happiness and excitement right at this moment, feeling his lips get a little more damp.

The third kiss is languid and gets slightly more intense as Junho tilts his head to the side and drags his tongue across Minjun’s lower lip, finally daring to slip it inside the older man's mouth. Fuck, Minjun feels great, too great. Junho doesn’t really understand his own mind, he can only feel Minjun’s hot mouth and tongue moving against his, making him question where this man has been his entire life. Junho feels so robbed. He spent all of his life without something so pure yet passionate. He never understood people talking about seeing stars when kissing someone because he never experienced anything like that, but with Minjun, it’s not just stars, it’s countless galaxies.

Junho’s hand slides down Minjun’s torso and lands on his thighs to take this a little further, but then Minjun pulls away suddenly, as if being electrocuted. They’re both breathing heavily, staring at each other; however, there’s astonishment painted all over Minjun’s face. Junho can’t decide if it’s the good kind or the bad.

Minjun glances down at Junho’s hands extremely near his groin and takes them in his, putting them back in the engineer’s lap. Minjun holds onto Junho’s hands as he bends lower and places his forehead on Junho’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

Junho sits there, frozen, trying to understand what went wrong. He cannot.

Wait, didn’t Minjun just enjoy this? Because it sure felt like he did. Or did Junho jump to the wrong conclusions too soon? Maybe Minjun responded only because he didn’t want to hurt Junho? Maybe he’s just too nice to deny his moody client? Fuck. He needs to fix this situation. Junho needs to save this relationship.

“Ah, shit, wait. I’m sorry, I just thought the feeling was mutual. Clearly, it’s not.” Junho gulps, sensing Minjun release his hands and pull away, his eyebrows furrowed in an apologetic fashion. Junho needs to save this drowning ship, even if it hurts him. “I just assumed you liked me back. I didn’t want to force you or offend you or anything… I just…” Shit, Junho is rambling. This is getting out of control and Minjun is just staring at him like Junho is about to be put to sleep and he feels sorry about it.

“Junho,” Minjun interrupts him. “That’s the problem. The feeling _is_ mutual.”

Junho blinks. “What?”

Minjun sighs and stands up, running a hand through his slightly dishevelled hair, turning his back to Junho, his white shirt hugging his wide shoulders tighter as Minjun slouches a little. “You wanted to know why I became a bodyguard.”

“But you’ve already told me, haven’t you? Tough military life? No?” Junho licks his lips, still feeling the remnants of the intoxicating kiss. He is having a hard time understanding Minjun, and it’s not because it’s past 1 AM and not because there are drugs coursing through his veins.

Minjun makes his way back to Junho and sits a little further away on the bed, showing his profile. “That wasn’t the only reason. There’s something more, which I’m not comfortable sharing with anyone and you will understand why. However, I have to reveal that part of my life so you can understand me better and why we can’t do this.” Minjun turns his head to Junho. “His name is Taecyeon.”

Junho’s heart drops. Is Minjun with someone else? His heart drops even lower, crashing down through the floor. No, he said he’s single.

“Taecyeon was our team leader. I was his right-hand man. I also was in love with him. The problem was, Taecyeon was straight. I knew that, so I didn’t make any moves on him. However, there comes a time when a man becomes so desperate he lowers his standards. I was that lower standard for him.” Minjun licks his lips, clasping his hands together in his lap, staring at them. Junho feels him getting smaller with each word. “It’s actually nothing new for men to help a bro out in the military, especially when they’re on long-term missions. Far away from home and women, even straight guys disregard their heterosexuality when it comes to pleasure. As long as there’s a mouth or a hand, they’re good. They just have to close their eyes.” Minjun snorts grimly. 

“Taecyeon was really desperate, and I wasn’t really hiding from him that I wasn’t interested in women. One thing led to another, and I started giving him handjobs and blowjobs. I was pretty naive back then to think that perhaps this could change his mind, but I held onto that thought despite everything. We never went all the way though because he was appalled by the idea of putting his dick in someone’s ass.” Minjun’s somber smile pains Junho, this confession opening his eyes in a pretty harsh manner. “And still, I thought I could change him because I loved him. So, we kept on meeting at night and I’d pleasure him. When it came to pleasuring me, he’d only offer a handjob while I did the same to him. So, I was his whore, basically.” Minjun sighs.

“As months passed, my mental state was getting worse. Not only because of our cruel mind-numbing missions, which I’ve already talked about before, but also because I was starting to understand that I will never be able to change someone who doesn’t want to be changed simply because, like me, he was born that way. I was finally coming to terms that I was in a toxic relationship and the only way to get out of it was to leave everything behind. I told him about my plans to leave and he asked me to stay, so I asked in return _‘why?’_. He said, _‘because you’re the best soldier on my team and you can suck me off whenever I need, you’re two in one, the best deal one can have in desperate times’_. That cemented my decision to leave since he confirmed he never saw me as a human being worthy of respect on an intimate level. I was just a very convenient tool.”

“When I got injured, I thought he’d come to visit me at least once. However, he didn’t. Not even a phone call. That’s when I knew I really had to put it all behind me and move on, setting some rules for myself. So, I promised myself I’d never get involved with anyone intimately while doing my job: I’d stay professional and wouldn’t mix work with pleasure.” Minjun glances at Junho. “This is why I can’t give in when it comes to you. I can’t have the luxury of thinking about _us_. I have to think about you and how to keep you safe. There’s too much at risk. I hope you can understand and keep it platonic between us.” 

Silence fills the room for a while as Junho processes Minjun’s disturbing confession. It’s a lot to take in. It must’ve been even harder to share.

“Do you think I’m like him?” Junho asks calmly. Does Minjun see Taecyeon in him? Does he think Junho wants to use him, being the one in the position of power with a contract binding Minjun to him? It hurts to think like that, but Junho needs to know since they’re being open with each other right now.

Minjun knits his eyebrows slightly. “No. You’re nothing like him. I mean it in a good way.” The bodyguard’s gaze travels somewhere on the sheets between them. Minjun’s reassurance lifts a heavy weight off Junho’s shoulders. At least he sees him differently and in a positive light. So, Junho cannot ignore Minjun’s request. He has to be mature in this situation if he wants to maintain their friendship he appreciates so much. The contract will end someday… Until then, Junho has to agree to the bodyguard’s boundaries.

“Minjun, I just want you to know one thing: what I feel for you...it’s sincere.” Minjun nods, his lips pressed tight in an understanding soft smile. “So, I’m going to respect your request. I don’t want things getting awkward between us. However,” the bodyguard’s attentive expression turns more intense. “I hope your past doesn’t stop you from allowing yourself to be happy with someone, especially when it’s mutual. I’ll wait.”

Their silence is drenched in empathy as they stare at each other, only random noises from the corridor and outside filtering in. Junho would like to say so much more but hearing Minjun’s heartbreaking story stops him from pushing it. He was finally let into Minjun’s inner fortress and Junho is not going to destroy the bridge he was so carefully guided across. Junho’s been wandering around the grounds outside for the longest time, trying to figure out what was sometimes lying beneath Minjun’s ambiguous stares, and now he knows.

This man was hurt by someone he loved, and he was treated like a soulless thing. Despite all of that, he stayed strong and moved on. Junho’s not going to stand in the way and meddle with Minjun’s mental journey, so there’s nothing else left but to give Minjun his freedom, hoping that someday he’d be confident enough to accept Junho’s feelings. Just like Minjun supported Junho through his hardships, the engineer is going to do that for him by not forcing the bodyguard to do what he doesn’t want to do.

“You should go back to sleep,” Minjun says finally, standing up. “They cleaned and stitched your forearm. Thankfully, the glass didn’t damage your tendons or nerves. You’ll be discharged in the morning if you promise the doctor you’re going take better care of yourself, because he wasn’t happy with your blood test results.” Minjun walks back to the armchair he was sleeping in before and settles down.

It’s time for Junho to step up and become a proper adult, the injury screaming that he should’ve done so a long time ago. His problems have caused havoc for both of them and it has to stop. He has made up his mind. “Minjun.” The bodyguard glances at him, his arms folded comfortably on his chest, a small pillow under his neck. “I’m going to see Kwon tomorrow.”

Minjun’s smile is relaxed as he nods. Making compromises isn’t easy, but it’s essential. Things will get better someday and Junho looks forward to that, feeling content now that both of them had lifted their secrets off their chests. All he needs to do is be patient. It will be challenging.

A last thought pops into Junho’s mind before he gives in into the drugs in his system and falls asleep — it’s about Minjun feeling the same for him. How will _he_ handle keeping it platonic between them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo how's that plot twist for you, huh? and the kiss? *wiggles eyebrows* let me know what you thought *u*


	12. The Pill

It’s almost noon when Junho makes himself comfortable in the backseat of the SUV parked in front of his house. Having a shower and changing into clean clothes took some time with his bothersome injury as the irritated skin under the wrapped bandage warned him to keep his arm safe and dry. He was eager to do all of that before continuing with his plans for the day because the outfit from yesterday had blood on it and, obviously, he wasn’t going to see Kwon or do anything else looking and smelling like a dangerous police runaway. He also thought Minjun would want to do the same because Junho wasn’t the only one looking and feeling stale. Junho noticed blood stains on the bodyguard’s shirt and pants only when he woke up. Maybe because it was too dark or because Junho was slightly out of it and, honestly, his mind was preoccupied with other _things_ , he didn’t really notice his blood on Minjun’s clothes when they had _the talk_.

When Junho opened his eyes this morning at the hospital, Minjun was already awake, talking to Khun on his phone. Apparently, Nichkhun stayed until around 9 PM last night, but the doctor encouraged him to leave since Junho was deep asleep and staying would’ve done nothing for either of them. Junho then asked Minjun to pass him his phone to talk to his worried assistant, so he did, knowing Junho himself assuring Khun everything is okay is better than someone else doing that for him. Hearing Khun’s voice gradually get more relaxed made Junho feel relieved as well as a pang of guilt for making his friend worry. When this conversation ended, Junho made a quick appointment with Kwon, the latter seemingly glad to hear Junho’s request to make some time for him today.

After Junho was discharged, he and Minjun went straight to the pharmacy to get all kinds of vitamins to boost his malnourished system. That’s when he noticed he was getting weird looks his way for wearing stained clothes, and Minjun didn’t look any less suspect with those guns on his ribs. Junho actually laughed out loud, extracting a puzzled look from his bodyguard.

“We do not look suspicious at all,” Junho had said, and after glancing at Junho and then at himself, Minjun snorted.

“At least no one will approach us offering to join a church or something.” Minjun’s humour was light-hearted, nothing seeming out of their ordinary communication, which was a relief.

Although Junho wanted it to be different, at the same time he was satisfied it wasn’t. There wasn’t awkwardness between them, so that was something to be pleased about. They were capable of keeping it easy-going between them, despite the rather emotional conversation they had last night. Perhaps being so open with each other was the key to this dull serenity, which allowed them breathe lighter. Or it also could’ve been because, for the first time in a long time, Junho slept so well and that definitely lifted his mood.

And now, as he was sitting in the SUV making its way out of his fortress, Junho caught himself wondering how everything went down yesterday. He didn’t know the details.

“What happened after I fainted?” he asks as Minjun makes a right turn.

“Khun grabbed a towel from his gym bag and wrapped it around your arm while I carried you to the car.” Man, what Junho would give to remember being carried by Minjun in his arms. “I think there might be some blood on the backseat where Khun was holding you while I drove to the hospital.”

Junho looks around quickly and notices a couple of dark stains on the floor and on the seat. Thankfully, the interior is black, so even if cleaning doesn’t go that great, it shouldn’t be too visible. “It seems like I’ll have to do some serious deep cleaning.”

“Or you could pay someone else to do that.” Minjun smiles through the rear-view mirror.

“Nah, my blood, my problem.” Junho waves his uninjured arm dismissively.

“As you wish. Don’t exert yourself, though.”

“Yes, Mr. Doctor.” Minjun shakes his head at him, a slight smirk on his face.

The rest of the trip continues in silence with Junho casually stealing glances at his bodyguard, dressed in all black, a scar peeking from the short sleeve of his t-shirt. He got that protecting Junho. He’s done so much for him. Junho was a dumbass for ever doubting Minjun and his loyalty. The night Junho got ridiculously drunk, Minjun told him to remember one thing and he fucking forgot it, falling for Mr. Park’s infectious assumptions. However, he remembers it more clearly than ever now.

_I’m loyal. That’s all you need to know._

At this point, it almost sounds like a love confession in coded _Minjunese_. Could he have already been into Junho by then? Or is it just a coincidence and Junho is simply overthinking? He’s itching to know when Minjun started developing feelings for him, but no way can he ask that now. It wouldn’t be very platonic to delve deeper into this topic, and Junho assured Minjun he wouldn’t bother him, so he’ll keep that question to himself until the right time comes. Whenever the hell that might be… 

Junho sighs tiredly. This is only Day One of honouring Minjun’s problematic request.

Does Minjun think about him a lot? Does he find it hard to resist Junho like Junho finds it hard to resist him? How far does Minjun’s interest in Junho go? It can’t be just a simple shallow attraction, right? Minjun looks like the type of person who, if he falls for someone, falls hard. Maybe it’s just Junho’s selfish wishful thinking talking, but he hopes he’s not the only one feeling kind of desperate.

And that guy…Taecyeon. How did he dare to make Minjun suffer like this, use him without a second thought? What kind of a human being do you have to be to use someone’s love for your own gain, and then not even give him a phone call to ask if he’s going to be fine? It angers Junho to think someone was capable of hurting Minjun like this and how difficult it must’ve been to recover. He thought dealing with Chansung was bad, but this…Taecyeon seemed to be truly heartless, using Minjun over and over like he was nothing. Junho clenches his fists in his lap, thinking about how satisfying it would be to make that despicable man to lose a tooth or two. 

Just as his thoughts are about to spiral down the path of hatred even further, the car stops, prompting Junho to look at the building on his left. To Junho’s surprise, it’s not a shiny modern-looking building, rather an older one with concrete walls with a pale beige tint. Junho has never seen Kwon in a professional setting and, judging by his flamboyant personality alone, he certainly didn’t expect his office to be in a plain-looking office building. 

To be fair, he’d only meet Kwon at parties or for sex, so perhaps Junho should’ve put more effort into being a genuine friend because Kwon was one of those rare people who offered his help when Junho needed it the most. It’s also slightly odd to choose a therapist he used to have sex with, but Junho doesn’t trust anyone else that much, and Kwon can have a quality about him that makes people feel at ease when he wants to. During those rare moments when Kwon shared his serious insights, Junho always found him to be very intelligent and thoughtful, so he was sure Kwon wouldn’t do anything to make him feel uncomfortable even though they had been intimate.

They enter the dimly lit hallway and walk to the door with Kwon’s name on it. Junho enters first and finds a room with a small emerald sofa beside the window on the right, and a table with a woman seated behind it on the left. There’s another door in the middle, which is probably where Kwon is. The walls of the waiting room are lined with warm wood, reminding him of his Dad’s office at home. The academic cosiness is accompanied by meditative rainforest sounds coming from the speakers behind the woman. 

“Hello, you must be Lee Junho. I’m Suzy.” She stands up and greets Junho with a handshake.

“Nice to meet you. Yes, I have an appointment.” Junho scratches the back of his neck nervously. He’s never been to therapy before, so he doesn’t know what to expect, honestly.

“Just a moment,” she says as she picks up the phone. “Mr. Lee is here. Okay.” She puts down the phone and smiles at Junho warmly, her long brunette hair falling on her shoulders in shiny waves. This girl is stunning. “Kwon is waiting inside, and your bodyguard can keep me company here during your session.” She stares at Minjun, looking way too interested in the bodyguard for Junho’s liking. He looks extremely handsome wearing all black today, which is, apparently, a chick magnet. Add a holster with guns to that equation and you get a vision worthy of sin, and this girl can’t hide her infatuation that well. Minjun smiles back politely at her.

“Got it,” Junho replies, licking his lips, not missing Minjun’s attentive gaze towards him as they move around the table to the sofa.

“Good luck,” Minjun says and Junho nods, smiling a little, feeling strangely content because he knows Minjun doesn’t fancy women. That’s right, she can’t have him anyway.

The engineer shuts the door behind him and notices Kwon walking towards him, smiling kindly, wearing a dark grey suit with a pink tie. He exudes professionalism in this attire, his usual outstanding flamboyance nowhere to be seen. The wooden walls of this interior room once again give off that vintage library aesthetic, shelves filled with books adding to that, too. Two emerald armchairs facing each another are in front of a dark brown desk with golden details. The view is rather cosy.

“Hey, how’s your arm?” Kwon hugs him briefly and touches the bandaged forearm gently.

“It stings, but painkillers make it easier to bear.” Junho offers a curt smile. He unconsciously tugs at the hem of his white t-shirt that has a drawing of a mean cat secretly flipping off whoever would dare to pull on the small chest pocket to get a better look at the illustration.

“I’m very happy to see you here, Junho.” Kwon squeezes Junho’s shoulder lightly, his gentle expression is welcoming. He’s so different in this setting, which Junho appreciates. The therapist is not here to fool around, and his attentive demeanour relaxes the engineer.

“I hope something good will come out of it,” Junho agrees, as Kwon shows him to the armchair and settles into the other one across from him.

Junho places his hands in his lap, nervously picking at the loose strings of the bandage. Kwon crosses his legs and places a notebook on top of his thigh, ready to scribble whatever therapists are supposed to scribble. Then, Kwon looks at him, his face completely serious yet warm.

“What brings you here today?” he begins, and Junho immediately thinks of all the films he has seen about a troubled patient pouring out his heart at the therapist’s office. So far, his personal experience doesn’t differ that much. Junho isn’t used to baring his heart to someone as he’s supposed to do so here, but he knows Kwon is a great specialist and that knowledge helps him with his answer.

“A wish to get better, and the need to stop burdening people with my problems. And a promise.”

“What kind of promise, if I may ask?”

Junho glances at his hands. “I promised I’d get help.”

“You yourself didn’t want to get help?” The therapist gazes at him curiously, and Junho somehow finds it easy to point out his flaws.

“No, I thought I could do it all by myself. I thought I was strong enough, but I was wrong. I made people worry about me, ignored their advice. This,” Junho points at his injured arm, “is a reminder of how stupidly stubborn I can get, thinking I’m in full control of my emotions.”

“Sometimes we overestimate our abilities.” Kwon smiles a little. “But the true strength is to admit to that, so you’re on the right path.” Junho nods. “What kind of problems do you think currently impact your life the most?”

“I can’t sleep well. I can’t eat properly… Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll be killed in a broad daylight, be it by poison or a gunshot... I occupy myself with work to make all the bad feelings and thoughts go away, but to the point where I can’t tell how many hours I’ve spent working on stuff. All of that backfired.” Junho rubs his eyelids briefly, the weight of his problems making him feel tired.

“Is that it?”

Junho arches his eyebrow. “Is that not enough?” Kwon chuckles lightly.

“You seem to be fully aware of your problems,” the therapist notes.

“Yeah, and that doesn’t make it any easier…” Junho pulls on his lips for a moment.

“Okay, let’s try to draw your timeline and find a pattern here. I know the general issues from the news, but please correct me if I’m wrong, okay?” Kwon switches his legs as Junho nods. “First, you were affected by the assault in Singapore. What kind of problems did you experience after that?”

“I had nightmares, but that passed after a while. Still, sleep wasn’t as good as before, but I managed to get at least six hours. I started feeling anxious about my safety.”

Kwon writes something in his notebook, his face composed. “How did you deal with that?”

“We changed my bodyguard’s contract so he’d be with me 24/7. I tried not to think about my anxiety too much. I tried to ignore whatever disturbing thoughts I may have had.”

“Ignoring something requires a lot of strength,” Kwon says, glancing at Junho meaningfully. “Did you have someone help you pull through that period?”

“Minjun,” Junho says, noticing a barely perceptible raise of Kwon’s eyebrow. “Talking helped a lot. He had bad experiences as a soldier, so we talked about that and my nightmares.” Junho explains, feeling warmth spread in his chest. Minjun was a huge reason he managed to control his darker thoughts back then.

“I’m glad to hear that. Bonding with someone over similar experiences can be more helpful than one can imagine. Knowing you’re not alone is essential.”

“I guess that’s how Alcoholics Anonymous works?” Junho smirks slightly.

“It’s how group therapy works.” Kwon smiles back amicably. “If you hold too many things inside of you, chances are it will only get worse. Humans are kind of like balloons; we all have a limit on how much we can handle on our own. Talking to Minjun gave you a chance to let out some of that heavy air so you wouldn’t explode. Which brings me to your father’s death.” Junho exhales shakily, he’d love to avoid this topic, but he knows he can’t run away from it anymore. “What changed after he was murdered?”

“Everything.” Junho stares at the carpeted floor, analysing geometrical shapes with a blank stare.

“Did you talk to Minjun about it? Or someone else?”

“Not really… I just… I kept it to myself mostly.”

“Why?”

Junho thinks for a while, searching for the right words. “Maybe because I felt like that pain belonged only to me. I was the only one who truly cared about dad. I was his only family and he was mine. I just felt like no one would understand that. No one could relate to that extent, even if they tried.”

Kwon’s eyes are sympathetic as he lets Junho think about his own words for a couple of moments before he speaks up again. “So, you felt lonely.”

“I did.”

“Were you alone?” Kwon prodded.

Junho stares at Kwon’s calm face. It’s like he knows something happened between him and Minjun. Well, to be fair, he knew about Junho’s feelings, and he had his suspicions regarding Minjun, but nothing more. He must have deduced their relationship has progressed a lot since the last time they saw each other. Again, Junho must remain honest.

“No. Minjun works for me 24/7. He’s always around.” He explains casually, somehow hoping the therapist wouldn’t dig too deep. He’s not sure he wants to share that part of his life as it’s a little complicated at the moment.

“Let me rephrase that: did Minjun put any effort into trying to make you feel less lonely and abandoned?”

Junho lifts his leg up and bends it, his right ankle resting on the left knee. He cannot lie to Kwon. “He did.”

“And how did that make you feel?”

“Less lonely and abandoned.” Junho smiles softly, Kwon responding in the same manner.

“And still, I suspect it wasn’t enough,” the therapist speculates, “but why?”

Junho reclines his head a little, staring at the ceiling, choosing his next words carefully. Saying it aloud feels like he’s in a confessional with a priest, but the type of priest who’s not here to judge him but rather truly help. “Because I wanted to be more than just a client and a bodyguard. I wanted more intimacy, and I’m not talking just physical, but I knew I couldn’t have it.”

“What did you do with that knowledge?” he pushes gently.

“I dove deep into my work. I tried to ignore my feelings. I told myself this relationship is impossible. I occupied myself with a new project.”

“So, death and the anxiety related to it weren’t the only things affecting you.” Junho shakes his head, turning gloomier. “You’re also hurting because your feelings are not being reciprocated.”

Junho chews on his lips, not being able to look Kwon in the eyes. When he says it out loud, he aches more. “A grieving and lovesick Junho — never knew that was going to be my life. It’s so unpredictable,” he says with scorn.

“But this is why life is beautiful, too. Isn’t it?” Junho looks at Kwon’s benevolent expression, trying to understand his point. “To see the stars, there has to be darkness,” he explains poetically, inspiring Junho to be more open.

“I saw galaxies.” Junho sees a miniscule shift in Kwon’s expression, a hint of wonder in his soft features.

“Care to elaborate? You look happy mentioning it.”

Junho scoffs in a benign fashion. “We kissed last night. I kissed him. I finally had the balls to do it.”

“And how did it go?” Usually Kwon would have a silly grin talking about sensual things, but the therapist Kwon just looks at him attentively, no hint of his usually playful nature, pen pressed to the notebook. Junho really appreciates his professionalism at the moment, so he spills more details.

“Remember when you said he must have issues of his own?” Kwon nods. “You were right. Only I cannot tell you about it because it’s his secret. Long story short, he has feelings for me, too, but he wants to keep it platonic between us and focus on his job.”

“How did that make you feel?”

Junho chuckles pensively. “Like the most delicious candy was taken away from me and was put on a table to be marvelled at from afar.” He sighs, and the morbid humour leaves his face. “I care about him, so I respect his request. He deserves that.”

“And what do you deserve?” Kwon’s question makes him blink blankly a couple of times.

“Uh… I don’t know. Nothing?” Junho shrugs.

“Junho,” Kwon puts both feet on the floor, leaning towards the engineer. “Because I know you from before, I have to tell you what I see.” Kwon smiles briefly. “You always seem to think about others more than yourself. I mean, you always donate to various charities, and it’s not because you want to show off like most rich people do. Sure, sometimes you act bratty, but I always thought of that as a defence mechanism. You’re thoughtful and kind, and don’t expect to receive anything back. But most of all, you’re sensitive and empathetic. It comes naturally to you. You tend to push your feelings aside to make others feel better, so you act accordingly to fit their emotions, like an emotional chameleon. You’re also impulsive at times, which might cloud your judgement. You know people worry about you, so you try to fix everything on your own just so you can prove there’s nothing to be concerned over. You don’t like to be pitied. You want to show everyone how strong you are.”

“And here’s where your problem lies: you try too hard, you become chaotic. You sort of lose yourself in the process.” Junho feels like Kwon’s a goddamn psychic or something, reading him like an open book, baring Junho’s soul so effortlessly. Junho gulps, feeling tears rolling down his cheeks. How the hell did that happen? Kwon points at the tiny table beside the armchair, a box of tissues on top of it. Junho grabs a tissue and dries his eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asks gently.

“Yeah. You just kind of… Put my heart in the limelight,” Junho chuckles with a drop of melancholy, tossing the tissue in the bin next to him. 

“Well, that’s how therapy works.” Kwon smiles. “Junho, you will have to make some changes in your life to get better; it all begins with you.”

“Okay, what’s the plan?”

“Said like a true business man,” Kwon chuckles, looking at his notes. “You must create a daily routine, a fixed schedule for your body to get used to. It might sound boring or pointless, but it will help you get back on the right track. The way I see it, your biggest problem is the lack of a proper routine because of the irregular sleeping schedule, which adds fuel for your anxiety. When a person rests well and is committed to a routine, dealing with problems and healing mentally are much easier.”

He continues, “Get at least seven hours of sleep. Do more grocery shopping and cook your own food, prepare for another day. Exercise 3-4 times a week. Do something that gives you joy outside of work; try meditation, maybe yoga and breathing exercises. Sounds simple, right? You just have to commit to this lifestyle, and by the end of the month, your stress levels should decrease drastically. It _will_ take time to readjust.” The therapist stands up and grabs something off his table, a small piece of paper, and writes something down. “To help you with your sleep, I’m prescribing you these pills to ingest every night before you go to sleep. They’re pretty strong, so don’t take more than one. I don’t want to give you anything other than that because I believe you don’t need any of the heavy stuff, which might make your mind feel hazy. Let’s try this method first, and if you have any problems with these pills, call me and I’ll give you something else. They’re only a means to help you hop back on the road to healing.” Junho stands up as Kwon hands him the prescription. “See you in a couple of days?”

“Yeah.” Junho puts the piece of paper in his wallet.

“Hey, I’m glad to know you and Minjun have somewhat resolved whatever is happening between you two. I’m sure you being mature about his request will give you extra points.” Kwon’s smile is whimsical and Junho feels Kwon the Therapist slip away slowly, his cheeky friend taking over for a bit.

“Yeah, well, I don’t know about that. I hate feeling like I’m the only one who’s really desperate.”

“You think?” Kwon arches his eyebrow.

“And your opinion is different?”

“Junho, if the feeling like you said is mutual, that means he has it as hard as you. Maybe even harder, since he has the responsibility to protect you. He just hides it better because that’s what soldiers do. I think he asked you to keep it platonic because he already feels distracted enough by you. You making a move on him must’ve startled him because I don’t believe he was expecting that. Resisting you and your advances must be extremely hard for someone who wants to be professional yet feels conflicted by these emotions. I mean, look at you,” Kwon gives him a quick once over. “Find me a guy who wouldn’t want to be with you. You’re stunning, inside and out.” The therapist boosts his ego, patting Junho’s shoulder with a wide, friendly smile.

“Yes, praise me more. You could be my personal cheerleader.”

Kwon laughs briefly, turning to the side a little, then returns his gaze to Junho, his expression thoughtful. “Stick to our plan and I believe your condition should improve. You have a bodyguard, which should make you feel safer too, shouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, his presence definitely makes me feel more at ease. He already saved my life once, so I put my trust in him.”

“That’s good, keep it that way.” Kwon walks him to the door and opens it, letting Junho pass first.

Minjun is sitting with a psychology magazine in his hands when he looks at Junho with a somewhat expectant expression. He rises to his feet as both men walk over to him.

“I’m returning your client. If you can, help him stick with his new routine. I’m sure you have yours mastered perfectly.” Kwon pats the bodyguard’s bicep. “Set a good example.”

Minjun arches his eyebrow and glances at Junho standing behind Kwon. “If you insist…” His gaze returns to Kwon’s benevolent face, “I can help.”

“Great.” Kwon turns around on his heel and gives Junho a hug. “Have a good day, Junho.”

“You too. And thanks.” He pulls back, still holding onto Kwon’s waist. “I’m glad I came here.”

“Me too.” Kwon pats Junho’s cheek, his smile honest and bright.

As Junho exits the building, a thought runs across his mind: he should’ve come here earlier. This session made him feel much lighter and brought more clarity.

 

+

 

It was already way past noon, so there was no real point in going to the office, and the engineer wasn’t feeling good enough to actually work on something that requires serious brain power anyway (also, Kwon wouldn’t approve of this). However, Junho showed up to make Nichkhun feel better because the latter was turning into a mother hen, sending his friend photos of food with heart emojis, and even worse, inspirational pictures with Paulo Coelho quotes. That’s when Junho knew he had to do an intervention and let Nichkhun touch him or something, let him feel like Junho is not a blurry mirage. Needless to say, it worked. By the end of their conversation, Khun was beaming so brightly Junho felt like his assistant consumed a part of the sun. 

The shattered glass wall and what was remaining of it had already been removed when the glass company came to fix the mess and get the measurements for the new reinforced tempered glass wall. The cleaning personnel also did their job well, removing the blood stains from the light grey carpet so skilfully no one would even know something had happened there.

Junho was worried about the beetle bug schemes he was carrying when he fainted, but that concern vanished as soon as he saw them on his table. The papers had a couple of blood drops, so Junho put them into the shredder. He will talk to his team about this project tomorrow and with neatly printed documents in his hands.

Leaving an excited Khun behind, Junho took his time doing grocery shopping. He’d usually appoint this task to his housekeeper, but since Kwon said he should include this activity into his schedule, Junho was diligently acting per the therapist’s instructions.

When they finally parked the car at Junho’s place, Minjun graciously offered to carry all the bags himself. However, Junho was having none of that, so he grabbed the biggest one with his uninjured arm, earning a glance of dissatisfaction from the bodyguard.

“What? My right arm is still fine,” he grumbles.

“That doesn’t mean you have to grab the heaviest bag and possibly pull a muscle or something, adding another injury,” Minjun reasons with him. Junho is about to roll his eyes, but then he remembers Kwon’s words about his need to appear strong no matter what; slight embarrassment creeps up on him for acting this way, but he commits to finishing this task anyway. There’s still time to correct his behaviour. Nothing wrong with letting someone else help him.

Junho opens the door and they enter the hallway. “Wolie?” When they came home in the morning, he briefly saw her sleeping on a window sill in the living room and didn’t want to disturb the cat since he didn’t have much time, but now he needed to sink his face into her black fur.

He puts the bag down near the shoe bench and squats; Wolie runs down the stairs straight into his open arms. Junho fucking melts at how sweet she is and grabs her, pressing the cat to his chest and burying his face into the warm softness. Junho rolls onto his back, stroking the cat as she lies on his chest like a Sphinx, her purring sending pleasant vibrations through his body. He closes his eyes. This is heaven.

He hears Minjun chuckle quietly and looks at him standing by Junho’s feet, his expression quite amused as he grabs the bag Junho abandoned to welcome Wolie into his embrace. Junho arches his eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t you bullshit me with that _‘nothing’_.”

“Don’t fall asleep here.” Junho still feels like Minjun had something else on his mind but he lets go, letting him walk to the kitchen without furthering his interrogation.

To his dismay, Wolie jumps off his chest and follows the bodyguard, making Junho realise all she really was expecting from him was food. Minjun probably sensed that. “Wolie, you little traitor,” he mumbles.

 

+

 

Junho has discovered how helpful Pinterest is—different variations of the same recipe for different diet types and whatnot. A true gem of a resource for someone as unskilled as Junho. At least he can follow directions well, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Being such an immersive person, Junho spent around two hours in the kitchen, successfully ignoring Minjun’s curious glances at his food. Simultaneously, the bodyguard was cooking something super healthy for himself, offering advice here or there. 

Around 9 PM, Junho was done with his kitchen activities, his belly full of some Spanish-style chicken stew. He even gave Minjun some to try, the latter actually praising the dish, which boosted Junho’s confidence. Perhaps he should publish a cookbook for geeks.

The engineer pulls Wolie into his arms and walks to his bathroom, looking for his medical supplies; he needs to clean the wound and change the bandage. After checking a couple of drawers, he remembers he must’ve left the box with Minjun, so he makes his way to the bodyguard’s room and knocks.

“Come in.” He hears permission to enter, so he does, still carrying Wolie. Minjun is folding a shirt, dressed in navy sweatpants and a white tank-top. “Brought your cat for me to babysit?” he grins, putting the shirt away.

“Ha, you wish.” Junho releases Wolie and she jumps down, looking around the room curiously; it’s probably her first time here. “No, I need to clean my wound and change the bandage. I think the box with the medical supplies is still in your bathroom.”

“Oh, right, sorry, I forgot to give it back to you.” Minjun walks to his bathroom with Junho following behind. He squats and pulls the box from one of the drawers. “Do you need help?” He stands up, eyeing Junho’s bandaged arm.

“Probably.” Junho shrugs, not really sure if he can tend to the wound well since it’s mostly on the back of his forearm.

“Okay.” Minjun sets the box on the counter and undoes the knot on Junho’s wrist. He then carefully starts unwrapping the bandage and Junho can already feel some of the material stuck to the stitches. He frowns. “Does it hurt?” Minjun asks, noticing Junho’s sour face.

“A little. Déjà vu,” he says, remembering how he did the same to Minjun after Singapore. The older man smiles, focused on Junho’s arm.

“There.” Minjun finishes and drops the dirty bandage into the bin.

Junho bends his elbow and looks at the mirror, staring at the reflection of his wounds. He thought it was only one slash, but the injury looks gnarlier than he expected: three slash wounds in total, and by the look of it, they must’ve been pretty deep because the area is still swollen. It really is a miracle it didn’t end worse for him. “Wow, I’m lucky.”

“Yeah, when you fell, you protected your face with this arm, so it’s really the best outcome. The glass could’ve gotten your face if it weren’t for your reflexes.” Minjun’s reminiscing reflection looks cloudy when Junho glances at him. He can only imagine how it all must’ve looked through someone’s eyes witnessing the process and the aftermath. If it were Minjun in his place… Junho exhales sharply. Minjun has feelings for him. He must’ve been affected by this, more or less. Probably more, as he couldn’t help but appear vulnerable when Junho thought he’d scold him instead.

Minjun disinfects Junho’s arm in silence, being extremely gentle while dabbing a piece of damp cotton over the stitches. Junho focuses on Minjun’s thoughtful face, thinking about their kiss. Or kisses, to be more exact. He wants to see the galaxies again. He wants to fly across them freely and enjoy every moment. Fuck, when they’re so close, it’s so hard to resist sneaking his arms around the man to close the offending gap and bring their bodies together. Again, it’s only Day fucking One. God.

Unconsciously, Junho exhales deeply and Minjun looks up at him. “Sorry, I’m trying to be gentle.” Junho almost laughs at how adorable concerned Minjun looks and how he has no idea what really lies behind that deep exhale.

“It’s fine. I’m just thinking.”

“Ah, okay.” Minjun turns a little and gets rid of the used cotton pad. He doesn’t pry and that’s a good thing because Junho doesn’t know if the result would end very platonically.  
Minjun finishes wrapping the clean bandage around Junho’s arm and takes a step back. “All done.”

“Thanks.” Junho grabs the medical supply box. “I’ll take this with me. Won’t bother you with my problems anymore.” 

“You’re not bothering me.” Minjun folds his arms.

“Yeah, well, thanks anyway. Good night.” Junho smiles curtly.

“Good night.” A soft smile decorates Minjun’s face as Junho turns around.

Junho grabs Wolie off the bodyguard’s bed on his way out. She doesn’t look too happy about that and wriggles out of his grasp, running downstairs. “Wolie, that’s rude,” he shouts and shakes his head, walking to his room.

Junho grabs one pill from a small bottle on his bedside table, downing it with a few gulps of water. Good dreams better come his way because he needs them.

 

+

 

It’s so bright in his room, the walls are luminous, almost sparkling, and Junho cannot even see through his windows. He feels an ethereal force pulling him out of bed, so he surrenders to it and makes his way out of the bedroom.

Junho feels light in his steps, the invisible thread pulling him to Minjun’s room. The astounding shining light reflects off the walls and the door handle, which Junho pushes down slowly, entering the room soundlessly. He notices Minjun lying on his side, his head propped on his hand and the most inviting smile decorating his face, as if saying _‘come to me’_.

Junho trembles slightly, anticipation making manifest in his groin, his feet carrying him to the person he wants to feel against his body so much. The sight steals his breath away, and Junho finds himself straddling the bodyguard’s hips that are covered with a soft duvet.

Junho leans down, pressing his face into Minjun’s neck and giving him a damp kiss, inhaling his alluring scent. Fuck, it feels so good, it sends another shiver down his spine.

Junho’s left hand rests in the middle of Minjun’s bare chest, while the right one slides down the man’s perfectly sculpted abdomen, sensing the heat radiating off the skin. However, his right hand can’t move any further—he feels pressure against it, with the same feeling on the side of his neck. He hears a distant voice ringing in his ears, bringing confusion.

“...Ho.” He tries to listen better. “Junho.” The pressure on his hand and neck gets heavier. “Junho, wake up!”

Junho blinks, the blinding light withdrawing from his consciousness and darkness filling in his vision instead. His heartbeat is rapid, and he doesn’t understand what’s happening until his eyes adjust to the darkness. 

There’s a face below his and, to his terror, he sees two concerned eyes staring right back at him. It finally dawns on him that he was dreaming and is, in fact, straddling Minjun just the way he was in his dream. The bodyguard’s skin is burning under his hands on his chest and stomach. Alarms go off in his head—but this is not a fucking drill. The pressure he felt is actually Minjun’s right hand on his neck and left hand on top of Junho’s other one—the one threatening to slip beneath the duvet separating them—flattening it against the bodyguard’s navel.

Junho is fucking numb all over and hot at the same time, realizing he is only in his underwear, his butt slightly lifted in the air as he is leaning forward, centimetres away from Minjun’s face below. Junho licks his lips and gulps, now fully understanding the gravity of this situation. He’s like a damn feral cat about to devour his astonished prey.

His eyes somehow dart over Minjun’s collarbone and he notices the goosebumps on his skin, informing him that even though the bodyguard is staying still, he’s not in the least feeling unbothered by what’s happening. The accelerated heartbeat under his palm only confirms that.

“Are you awake?” Minjun’s voice brings Junho’s attention back to his face. A moment passes with them just breathing heavily, both processing what to do next.

It takes all his willpower to unmount his body from Minjun’s. Junho rolls over and sits on the edge of the bed, feet on the floor and his palms tightly grasping the sheets by his sides. 

He’s hard. His dick is throbbing with yearning. And he wants to kill himself, because if Minjun noticed, he’s so fucking done. His heart beats like a sledgehammer against his ribcage.

“Shit. I’m so sorry. Must be the pill. I don’t know what happened.” He does not dare look at him.

“You were sleepwalking,” Minjun’s tone is hushed.

“What did I do, exactly?” Oh, he’s so terrified of the answer, why did he even ask? The question just flew out of his mouth, damn his curious nature.

It’s quiet for a while and Junho feels Minjun sit up behind him. “You… just what you woke up to.”

“Did I kiss you?” 

It’s quiet again and the bodyguard sighs, clearly meaning it’s a positive answer. Undoubtedly, he didn’t want Junho to feel more embarrassed than he already is. “My neck.” Oh fuck. His physical body replicated everything his dream-self was doing. Junho wants to howl with embarrassment. “Listen, sleepwalking must be a side-effect. Just ask Kwon to change the pills,” Minjun exhales tiredly and adds, “I’m not angry. It’s not your fault. Could’ve happened to anybody.”

“Maybe you should lock your door,” Junho attempts to joke, nervous as hell.

“Me? I’m not the one sleepwalking.” There’s a brief chuckle behind Junho.

“Right…” he says as light-heartedly as possible. “Sorry again.” Junho stands up and walks out of the room quickly, shutting the door behind him a little too forcefully.

He locks his bedroom door. His mind is still hazy, the drug probably still in effect, so he will surely fall back asleep. But goddammit, he’s not going to unconsciously jump Minjun like this ever again.

He lies on his bed, feeling the prominent tent in his underwear. Junho squeezes himself through soft cotton and gasps, the pleasant sensation reminding him he hasn’t touched himself in a very long time. With all the shit that’s been happening, he was too preoccupied with other things to actually give himself relief of this kind. But now, he just cannot ignore his carnal needs anymore; he’s about to explode.

Junho slips his hand under the band of his underwear and starts rubbing himself slowly, breathing heavier, imagining a certain person’s hand doing it for him. How would Minjun stroke him? Would he do it slowly? Or fast? Or both? Would he kiss Junho while caressing his hard cock? Something tells him he would.

Junho’s strokes become faster and more powerful, precum making his movements slicker. He turns on his side and imagines Minjun pressing against him from behind, kissing the back of his neck, teasing his earlobe with his teeth and tongue. What he would give for this moment to become real… He remembers how sizzling Minjun’s skin felt just minutes ago, how his lips were slightly parted as if waiting for Junho’s next move, and not a platonic one. For the shortest second, he felt like Minjun wanted the same, and it makes Junho’s brain fry.

Junho comes hard, his loud gasp muffled into the pillow, milking himself to the last drop, ruining his sheets with his sweet release.

It takes a couple of moments for him to descend from his high, and he rolls on his other side to grab a tissue off the bedside table. Junho cleans himself quickly and lies flat, staring at the ceiling, his eyes closing slowly, feeling his bliss turn into agonizing curiosity.

Does Minjun ever touch himself thinking about Junho? Or does he really have the self-control of a monk? Junho hopes to get his answers. Someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *eyebrow wiggle* so, who wants to thank the pill? lol.   
> it was so interesting to write about Junho and Kwon's session, I hope it gave you some answers as well.  
> let me know your thoughts!


	13. Switched

“Did you know sleepwalking was a side effect?” Junho drums his fingers on the armrest, staring at Kwon’s calm face, sitting across from him on the emerald armchair. The AC hums, filling in the silence. Junho drove here before work because Kwon had agreed to come earlier just for him. He must have heard the desperation in Junho’s voice over the phone.

“I was aware, but only one patient has ever experienced it before, so I couldn’t know for sure what effect these pills would have on you,” the therapist explains, oozing composure as Junho feels like a match about to be ignited. Just a small spark, that’s all he needs. Kwon doesn’t give him that. “What happened, exactly?”

“A fucking disaster.” Junho slumps in the armchair, looking away. He avoided Minjun’s eyes all morning out of embarrassment, which made itself apparent as soon as Junho encountered the bodyguard in the kitchen. Minjun, on the other hand, didn’t do anything out of the ordinary; his expression was completely nonchalant. Like he wasn’t affected by it at all, but Junho just _knows_ he was: the goose bumps, the accelerated heartbeat, the perturbed expression on his face. And yet, the bodyguard still managed to act like it was nothing.

“A disaster?”

“Yes. A goddamn disaster,” Junho scoffs, but Kwon doesn’t ask anything else, waiting for Junho to elaborate on his own. He sighs, twisting a strand of black hair in his fingers. “I had a dream.”

“What kind of dream?” Kwon looks at him expectantly, and Junho exhales even heavier.

“Borderline erotic.” Junho kneads the material of the armrest a little harder.

“How did it affect your sleepwalking?”

“I… I walked to Minjun’s room. I straddled him, kissed his neck, and was about to move my hand to his southern region when he stopped me and made me wake up.” Junho cringes, hugging himself and covering his face with his right palm. “I was hard. On top of him. About to disrespect his request,” Junho groans. “This is the worst.”

“How did he react?” Kwon inquires, scribbling in his notebook.

“Well, he appeared to be serene, but if you notice the little details you can deduce it’s just a front. At least that’s what I think. I can’t be making this up… It can’t be all just in my head...”

“Why do you think that way?”

“I thought about what you said, that he might have it harder than me ignoring these feelings. I can’t compare, obviously, but I can imagine, you know. If I try to be in his shoes, I can understand to some extent...” Junho halts his talk, a sudden realisation popping into his head. Kwon raises his eyebrow questioningly. “Shit. He’s doing it for both of us. Not just for himself. He has this calm exterior so neither of us would feel awkward.” Junho stares blankly at his bandaged arm. That’s basically the only option Minjun has if he wants to do his job properly, all the while making Junho feel relaxed around him. Minjun can’t allow himself to appear bothered by what happened.  
“How does this realisation change your view on this situation?” The therapist tilts his head a little, his gaze attentive.

Junho purses his lips briefly. “I don’t know… I don’t want him to take everything on his shoulders. I need to stop overthinking, maybe. Like, all right, I did that, but it wasn’t intentional, right? It was an accident… He understands that, so he doesn’t want me to feel embarrassed. But then again, I just get so flustered around him sometimes… Just randomly… I don’t make any sense, do I?” Junho chuckles pensively and Kwon offers a sympathetic smile.

“It’s natural to feel embarrassed when you experience an accident like this; you must feel exposed, don’t you?” Junho nods. “Allow yourself feel these emotions instead of suppressing them; they will wear off over time, and maybe someday you will even be able to laugh at what happened. I’d like to understand why your dream turned out like this, though. Something tells me you have certain frustrations, which may have manifested while you were sleepwalking.”

“Frustrations…” Junho snorts more at himself than Kwon. “Try being around someone you love without the permission to fully express your feelings and you’ll sleepwalk into an orgy party.”

“Junho, I think we have already established that piling things up inside you is a bad practice. I’d like to ask you about your sexual life, if you don’t mind, of course.”

The engineer sighs, “Shoot.”

“When was the last time you had sex?”

Junho doesn’t have to think hard on that one. “With you and Anna. The morning you first saw Minjun.”

“So, it’s around five months ago?”

“You saying it aloud makes it sound kind of pathetic.” Junho laughs.

“Just trying to establish a timeline,” Kwon explains. “Do you think the lack of sex may have had an impact on you?”

“Probably...”

“Junho, do you relieve yourself in any way? Or do you just ignore your sexual desires like everything else?” Kwon tries to make a point here, but Junho just wants to close himself off.

“I… I try to hold it in. It’s fine.” He looks away as Kwon leans forward a bit.

“Junho, you’re around the person you like 24/7. Naturally, sometimes it might get complicated, especially when you crave intimacy. I’m just saying you shouldn’t suppress your sexual desires when you have other options to pleasure yourself. It doesn’t mean you have to go around looking for random sex partners, because I don’t believe that’s what you want when you already have someone you have serious feelings for. You’re not an animal; you can control your behaviour. However, sometimes we need to satisfy ourselves, even if it includes just one person: yourself.” Junho is simply amazed at how plainly Kwon talks about masturbation with such an earnest expression. But his words contain wisdom, the engineer can’t deny that.

“Do you think that is why my sleepwalking turned into a sex hunt?” 

“Most likely. I think you need to balance it out somehow. There’s nothing shameful in masturbation, a completely natural behaviour.”

“Oh, I’m not ashamed, you know that.” Junho snorts and Kwon smiles lightly as his patient clearly hints at the times they had sex.

“I do, but I just want to understand you better. Why do you hold it in when you can relieve yourself?”

“Well, everything just piled up: anxiety, loss, work… Wasn’t in the right mood… Didn’t have time for it...”

“Is that it?” Kwon prods.

Junho clears his throat, straightening his back. “I just thought it might be harder to control my sexual appetite if I give in. But maybe you’re right? Perhaps I should give myself a hand and see how it goes? Slept like a baby after I did last night.” Junho smirks.

“There you have your answer.” Kwon smiles light-heartedly as he stands up and gives another prescription to Junho. “This brand shouldn’t have sleepwalking as a side effect. It’s not as strong as the one you tried, but it’s still pretty effective.”

“In any case, I’m still going to lock my door.” Junho rises to his full height.

“If that makes you feel better, of course.” Kwon pats Junho’s arm.

“Sorry for barging in so early. I know you like to sleep in.” The therapist chuckles briefly at Junho’s thoughtfulness.

“It’s fine, anything for a friend.” Kwon shows him to the door. “See you soon, Junho.”

“Yeah, I hope not tomorrow.” Kwon snorts quietly and Junho leaves, ready to get the new medication. He can only hope that the combination of therapy and new habits will colour his inner canvas in brighter, less chaotic hues.

 

+

 

It’s been a couple of weeks since Junho’s accident and he’s noticed some changes during that time. Going to therapy and living by Kwon’s advice was finally paying off because not only his mental health has improved. Junho is sitting in his physician’s room as he’s being informed about the blood test results: they are so much better than the night he got admitted to the hospital. Junho can’t help but smile, listening to the doctor explain every little thing on the test result chart. That’s something to be happy about.

Junho felt his mood lifting progressively over the weeks as he got more sleep; his eating habits got better and cooking was quite enjoyable, and somewhat relaxing, too. He also began using his gym more efficiently, so by the end of the month he noticed an improvement in his overall physique. He wasn’t flabby or anything because he’d exercise occasionally, but having a strict routine definitely changed his body for the better as his muscles appeared to be more toned. That was also something to be happy about.

Junho relieved himself a couple of times a week. Exercising was a great way to dump some of the energy, but a hand job definitely gave a different type of pleasure he craved. Once again, Kwon was right: it was easier to control his desires that way. The more time he spent with Minjun, the more intense his feelings towards him got. Junho found it difficult composing himself at times, for instance, when Minjun would fix his yoga pose (he agreed to teach Junho), which would always involve using the bodyguard’s hands. Every touch felt like it was filled with electricity, and Junho tried his best to appear unbothered by it, although he was starving from the lack of physical contact.

One time, Junho chased Wolie as she snatched his phone charger, and he ran from his room just in his underwear. He managed to catch her right at the top of the staircase before she darted down, so he raised her up Lion King-style in his hands and stared at her innocent eyes from below, calling her a little thief, the charger still in her jaws. At that moment, Minjun’s door opened and the bodyguard halted in his doorway. His scrutinizing gaze made Junho feel heat in his groin, and even if it lasted only a second, Junho could swear he saw lust in his dark eyes. He felt wanted and that was a rare delightful moment he savoured by making himself come as soon as he got back to his room. Those moments when he’d manage to notice desire in Minjun’s eyes didn’t occur often, but when they did, Junho would always use them to heighten his excitement while stroking his dick. It was just an assumption in all cases, but Junho really felt like he could tell when Minjun’s eyes held nothing _pure_ behind them. And Junho was the reason, he was sure. Yeah, that was one more thing to be happy about.  
As Junho ponders over the things that happened over the past few weeks, he exits the doctor’s office and sees Minjun leaning back on a windowsill right in front, arms folded on his chest, a curious expression decorating his face. “How did it go?” he asks, and Junho beams instantly.

“All good. The doctor was satisfied with the results.” He hears someone coughing nearby, but ignores it, absorbing Minjun’s soft smile; it’s so easy to be mesmerised by it, especially when Junho is so elated knowing that all his efforts to get better are paying off.

Minjun starts walking towards him, but then his head snaps to the left, Junho following his suit. There’s an elderly woman leaning against the wall, coughing heavily, her face pale and eyes slightly red. It’s obvious she feels weak, so Minjun hurries to her aid and helps her sit down on a chair.

“Thank you,” she starts coughing even harder, almost straight to the bodyguard’s face. “I’m so sorry, I hope you don’t catch my flu.” She smiles weakly at Minjun but he just shakes his head, holding her hand.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Should I call a nurse for you?” Minjun squats and Junho looks around, already seeing a nurse hurrying to their side.

“She’s coming,” Junho says and Minjun stands up, letting the nurse take care of the lady, who seems to be a little embarrassed.

“Ah, she told me not to leave my bed,” she whispers and chuckles guiltily.

“Mrs. Han, I told you you’re not allowed to leave your bed!” the girl reprimands her and then glances at Minjun and Junho. “You made these two men worry about you! Come on, let me help you get back to your bed. Thank you!” She smiles at them and leaves with the sick lady.

“You can admire her persistence,” Junho notes as they watch them walk away.

“Indeed.” Minjun glances at Junho. “Back to work?”

“Yeah.”

 

+

 

“Hey, can we meet next week? I have a surprise for you,” Junho says into his phone when he enters his house later that evening.

“A surprise?” Wooyoung sounds intrigued.

“Yeah, I don’t want to talk about it over the phone. So, do you have free time, let’s say, next Thursday?” He wanders to the living room absentmindedly.

“Hold on…” Junho can hear him flipping through the papers. “That’s exactly in a week. Yeah, I can come by your office. What time?”

“Is 2PM fine?”

“Sounds good to me. You’re keeping me on my toes being so secretive,” Wooyoung chuckles.

“Unintentionally, I swear. Just don’t want information leaking,” Junho snickers.

“I understand. I’ll update you on the case then as well.”

“Can’t wait to hear the news. See you next week.”

“Yeah, bye.”

Junho sighs, flopping on the sofa. He hasn’t seen Wooyoung for such a long time since both of them are busy with their jobs. The beetle bug went through trials and was finally finished, which made Junho feel so excited, because making it wasn’t an easy walk in the park. Manufacturing the tiny parts gave him a headache a couple of times, and making the thing work felt like giving mental birth to a long-awaited child in the shape of a small tracking device.

He hears Minjun cough in the kitchen and rises to his feet to see what’s going on. The bodyguard wasn’t very talkative when they were driving back from the office, but Junho didn’t pay much attention to it because their commutes are usually accompanied only by the music from the radio.

Junho sees Minjun drinking water and as he walks closer, he notices the bodyguard’s eyes look tired. It’s already a little past 7 PM, but still slightly too early to look like that. The engineer stops and looks at him attentively. “Don’t tell me you caught that lady’s flu.”

“I don’t think so,” he takes another gulp. “And if I did, I’m pretty sure I’ll just sleep it off and be fine in the morning. No problem at all.”

“Aren’t you cocky, huh?” Junho crosses his arms, leaning on the counter. Minjun chuckles, glancing at him.

“It’s just how my body works. I’m a healthy man.” The bodyguard smiles confidently.

“Tell that to the virus, I’m sure it would beg to differ.”

“Yeah, yeah… Do you have herbal tea by any chance?”

“I do have something…” Junho turns around and opens a drawer, digging through boxes of teas until he finds something for cold relief. “This one should do. It might be a little stale since I don’t really use them because I get my flu shots regularly and avoid falling ill.” Junho gives him the box with the herbs.

“Why do you even have them, then?” Minjun arches his eyebrow, Junho taking note of the slight glint in his eyes. He really must be coming down with something, but if he’s so confident he’ll get better overnight, let him be. He’s a grown man.

“Nichkhun. He loves giving me tea for some reason. A true family man caring for others.” Junho grins as Minjun puts the kettle on the stove and returns an understanding smile. “I’m going to exercise,” Junho announces.

“Okay, I guess I’ll go to bed a little earlier than usual.”

“Yeah, good luck with overcoming that sickness, soldier.” Itching to lift some weights and use the treadmill, Junho salutes him and leaves the kitchen with Minjun’s chuckle behind him. He still has a lot of energy to burn.

 

+

 

Junho finishes his morning coffee, scrolling through the news feed. Wolie jumps on his knees and meows demandingly, reminding him she’s hungry, too. “Minjun didn’t feed you?” he asks, slightly surprised to see an empty bowl. Somehow, it became a tradition for Minjun to give her food in the morning, most likely because he’s the one who gets up earlier than Junho.

He kisses her and puts the cat on the floor, grabbing a can of cat food from the refrigerator and dumping it into her bowl. “There.” He looks at her eating for a while, stroking her shiny fur. Then, he realises he hasn’t seen Minjun yet. He can’t be outside already, can he? They’d usually meet in the kitchen before leaving the house together. Did he oversleep? That’s so unlikely, Junho frowns at the thought. The bodyguard is never late, he’s like a Swiss clock.

Junho walks upstairs and knocks on Minjun’s door but hears no answer. He gives himself the liberty to enter the room and is surprised to see Minjun still asleep, safely cocooned in his duvet, his back to Junho.

“Wow, whatever you’re dreaming about must be amazing to oversleep like this.” Junho makes his way towards the bed and furrows his eyebrows, noticing sweat on Minjun’s face, some of his hair strands stuck to his forehead. He doesn’t look well to say the least. 

“Hey, Minjun.” Junho sits down and rolls the bodyguard’s body gently on his back. Minjun frowns and mumbles something incoherent. Junho touches the bodyguard’s forehead and almost gasps at how hot it feels. “Shit, you’re burning, Minjun.” Junho slaps his cheeks lightly and, slowly, the sick man opens his eyes, the opaque orbs glassy and barely focused on Junho’s face. “What happened to getting over the sickness? You’re hot like a geyser.”

“Am I?” Minjun’s voice is hoarse. Then, the crease between his eyebrows deepens as he stares with what seems like all he’s got at Junho’s face. “You’re so beautiful.” Junho feels blood rush to his ears, completely taken aback by the sudden compliment but also realising Minjun’s brain must be really on fire for him to blabber something like this. “Stunning...” Minjun’s straightforwardness makes Junho breathe in sharply, seeing how all of the bodyguard’s defences are down, a direct consequence of the fever in his body.

“Okay, hold your horses. I need to find a thermometer; you will kill me if I let you say something you wouldn’t under normal circumstances.” Junho swallows, feeling naked under Minjun’s bleary stare. He’s acting like he’s high, and Junho would rather have him throw compliments at him when he’s in his right mind.

Minjun looks dissatisfied but doesn’t object as he closes his eyes, probably thinking this is all just a very vivid dream. Junho runs to his room quickly and grabs the thermometer, worried about Minjun: if he’s acting so incoherently, his fever must be really bad.

Junho pulls down the duvet to Minjun’s hips and sees his tank-top drenched in sweat. “Hey, sit up. I need to remove your shirt.” Minjun doesn’t react much, so Junho takes it upon himself to move the bodyguard to a sitting position and then the latter kind of wakes up, giving him a confused stare. “You’re swimming in sweat, lift your arms, will you?”

“Mm… I need to take you to work…” He coughs.

“Man, you’re really delirious. I’m staying with you. Come on, lift your arms.” Minjun weakly attempts to but he has no strength in his muscles from the sickness, so Junho helps him; after a little struggle, he removes the tank-top and throws it on the floor. He helps Minjun lie down and places the electronic thermometer into his armpit, covering him with the duvet so he’ll shiver less. “Hold it. Takes a few minutes.”

“Mhm…” is all Minjun manages to reply and Junho sighs, concerned.

“Should we sue that old lady for making you fall ill like this?” He chuckles dolefully. “Also, you overestimated your immune system. Silly.” Minjun looks like he’s in another world, so weak and unresponsive, Junho knits his eyebrows. Such an unusual sight. So different from what he’s used to. Now, it’s Junho’s turn to return the favour and take care of him.

Junho himself feels weak looking at Minjun’s sluggish shape, craving to transfer his strength to him so he’d suffer less. He brushes the damp hair off Minjun’s forehead and leans down, placing a soft kiss on his forehead, hoping Minjun wouldn’t feel or remember it because Junho just can’t help himself right now, wanting to do everything to make him feel at ease. 

He pulls away slightly and looks at Minjun’s face from up close, cupping his left jaw, brushing his thumb against the damp skin of the bodyguard’s cheek. “Sorry for taking this liberty,” he whispers and allows his eyes to linger on Minjun’s face for a little longer until he hears a beeping coming from the sick man’s armpit.

Junho takes the thermometer and his eyes widen.

_40.1 C_

“Fuck. This is bad.” His heart jumps a little witnessing the daunting numbers. Junho fishes his phone out of his pocket and dials Kwon’s number.

“Hey, what’s up?” Kwon’s cheerful voice greets him.

“Hey. I have a huge problem. Minjun has a very high fever and I have no clue what to do. Do you know a doctor who’d come to take a look at him? Someone trustworthy. Because, you know, my situation… I need to know he’s in good hands.” Junho hears his own voice tremble a little.

“Junho…” Kwon’s cheerful tone changes instantly, sensing the hopelessness in his friend’s voice. “Yes, I know someone. She owes me a favour, so I’ll call her right away.”

“I don’t have any flu medicine,” Junho adds quickly.

“It’s okay, I’ll tell her to stock up before going to you. How high is his temperature?”

“40.1 C”

“All right, I’ll tell her that. Does he have any other symptoms?”

“Just coughing. I’m guessing he got the virus from a sick lady he helped yesterday.”

“Always a hero,” Junho hears Kwon chuckle.

“Unfortunately,” Junho scoffs. “He’s a little delirious. That makes me worry more.”

“Just don’t overthink it, okay? I’ll call my friend and she will help you.” Kwon tries to soothe him and Junho sighs exasperatedly.

“Okay. Thanks, Kwon.”

“No problem. Keep the room temperature at 18 C and put a cold wet towel on his forehead until she arrives,” the therapist offers.

“Got it. Bye, Kwon.”

“Bye, take care.”

Junho puts the phone away and sets the AC in Minjun’s room to +18 C. Wolie sneaks past his legs and jumps on Minjun’s bed, sniffing him carefully. Junho watches the cat settle on top of the bodyguard’s chest, making him wonder if cats really do have healing powers. With that thought in mind, Junho wets the towel with cold water and places it on top of Minjun’s forehead, eagerly waiting for the doctor to show up.

 

+

 

By the end of his examination, Minjun looks a little more awake, probably from all the touching and questions. Although some of his answers do not sound very bright, he can talk, nonetheless.

“All right, his condition seems to be stable so far. I wouldn’t recommend giving him anything to lower his fever, not just yet. His immune system is fighting the virus, so that’s good, pills would only hinder the process, so let him fight it. Just give him something for the headache. Keep checking his temperature; if it goes above 40.5 C, give him the fever medication. I’ll leave this IV drip since he needs liquids and he’s sweating profusely; remove the needle when there’s barely any liquid left. Keep pressure on the needle wound for a few minutes.” She touches the IV bag attached to the lamp above the bed. “I think his temperature should decrease slightly in the morning, and by the third day, it should drop even lower. If everything goes that way, let him rest for a couple more days to avoid any complications.” The female doctor has a pixie cut and seems to be around forty years old. She has a rather strict approach, but that side is actually appealing to Junho, as she doesn’t beat around the bush with her laconic explanations.

“What about the coughing?”

“His lungs sound pretty good, so I wouldn’t worry about it. However, if the coughing persists, he should get an X-ray. Just to be sure. He looks like a strong guy, so I believe he’ll get better soon.” She offers a smile and Junho returns it.

“He takes care of himself,” Junho notes.

“Well, that’s great. I have high hopes for him. Don’t forget to give him liquids. This is the spray for his sore throat,” she gives the bottle to Junho. “Keep that cold towel on his forehead, and that’s about it.” She picks up her bag and starts putting her equipment inside. “A bodyguard, huh? Is he with you all the time?”

“Yes, he works for me 24/7.” Junho watches her close the bag and look at him.

“Maybe he got overworked? It also might have an impact on his health and be a reason behind his higher than usual fever. Does he rest properly?”

“I’m humane. Once we’re home, he can do whatever he wants; he can go to sleep right away.” Junho smiles. “I believe his condition is good.”

“Let’s not be too concerned over his health then.” She shakes Junho’s hand. “He will be fine, don’t worry. I can see he’s a fighter,” she says as Junho leads her downstairs.

“I’ll trust your word.” He opens the door for her.

“It was nice to meet you. Hopefully, this is the last time we see each other under these circumstances,” she says, grinning slightly.

“Yeah. Thanks for coming.”

“No problem. Take it easy.” Junho waves as she turns around, and closes the door. Her words better come true, because if Minjun doesn’t get any better, Junho will have to resort to taking him to the hospital and he doesn’t want that.

 

+

 

Junho finishes cooking soup and pours it in a bowl. He’s been checking Minjun’s temperature diligently every hour, which, luckily, stayed stable. It’s already a little past 6 PM, and despite that the bodyguard’s been asleep for most of the time and didn’t show any signs of hunger, Junho decided to cook something because his body needs fuel to fight the virus even if Minjun doesn’t feel hungry. He figured soup was the best choice in this case.

He carries a light grey bowl upstairs and when he enters Minjun’s room, he stops in his tracks. “You should’ve waited for me to help you!” Junho yelps as he puts the bowl on top of a chest of drawers near the door and hurries to Minjun’s aid as the latter is leaning against the bathroom doorway, his forehead pressed to the wood. He’s clearly having trouble getting back to the bed.

Minjun turns his head tiredly at Junho when he touches the sweaty skin on the small of Minjun’s back. “All these liquids… Couldn’t wait,” he explains briefly.

Junho sighs. “Come on.” He helps him to the bed but doesn’t let him sit just yet, seeing how damp Minjun’s pyjama pants are. “I think we should take these off, no use in keeping them on when you’re sweating so much.”

“I guess...” He doesn’t object and Junho pulls his pants down, letting them fall to his ankles, leaving the bodyguard only in his underwear. Junho then helps him sit down and squats to remove the pants completely, lifting the bodyguard’s feet and not missing Minjun’s intense gaze, his eyes still hazy, but his mind seems a little clearer than before. “Sorry for this. I’m useless right now.” Junho looks up at him and frowns.

“You’re sick. There’s nothing to be sorry about. You helped me more than I can count, so it’s only fair I do the same for you. Get more comfortable, I brought you soup.” Junho stands up and watches Minjun grab the duvet and pull it up to his chest, resting his back against the headboard.

Junho returns with the bowl and sits on the edge of the bed. “I’ll feed you.”

“I can…”

“No, I will. Shut up and eat.” Minjun gives up and lets Junho feed him, at times looking like he’s about to fall back asleep just as he’s swallowing the warm concoction.

They finish the soup after a while and Minjun lies down on his side, facing Junho, eyes closed. “Thanks,” he says hoarsely.

Junho puts the bowl on the bedside table and watches the sick man drift off into another reality. Honestly, he could just sit there and watch him for the rest of the evening. There’s something reassuring in knowing Minjun is in his hands, allowing him to see this vulnerable side of his as he lets Junho take care of him (not that he really has any say in this, but at least he’s not shooing Junho away). In any case, it feels good to do this.

Junho lies down as well, inspecting Minjun’s features, noticing small changes in his face; he’s probably dreaming something intense. It almost looks like he might be having an unpleasant dream when the crease between his eyebrows deepens.

Junho touches Minjun’s fingers, the bodyguard’s hand resting in front of his face. He gently traces across the skin, trying to soothe him. He slips his hand into Minjun’s palm and the latter’s fingers suddenly claw onto it, startling him a little.

Minjun mumbles something akin to _‘closer’_ and Junho feels like he cannot ignore this request, even if it might be induced by the fever. So, he scoots closer and wraps Minjun’s arm around his own waist, the motion triggering the hazy-minded bodyguard to actually roll towards Junho and partially rest on his side, nuzzling his face against Junho’s neck, making the hair on Junho’s body rise. 

Minjun’s hold around Junho’s torso tightens, and Junho exhales sharply because Minjun is clinging onto him like a goddamn koala. Shit, he’s the cuddly type; that makes Junho melt.

Minjun’s body sizzling against him is enough of a challenge to endure, but Junho still pulls the duvet over their bodies to cover Minjun completely, already feeling like he’s in a furnace. It’s sort of like when Wolie falls asleep on his lap and Junho doesn’t have the heart to move—it’s that type of a situation, so Junho commits to it.

Minjun’s grip relaxes after a while, and he seems to be content with Junho’s arms around him, his breathing against Junho’s neck deep and steady. Junho feels like a steamed bun under the duvet with Minjun radiating enormous heat, but he wouldn’t trade this place with anyone else.

This closeness is probably against their deal, but perhaps Minjun won’t get too angry about it, if he remembers it at all. Junho wouldn’t want to sabotage weeks of successfully honouring Minjun’s request, but he’s just taking care of him as a friend would, so this can’t be considered inappropriate, right? Junho closes his eyes, telling himself it’s fine, his fingers pressing harder into the bodyguard’s damp skin. He’s not taking advantage of Minjun. He’s just trying to comfort him. Junho sighs and tries to meditate in this odd state in an attempt to clear his mind, but instead, affected by the cosiness, he just falls asleep.

 

+

 

A loud notification sound coming from Junho’s pocket drags him to consciousness, his body sweaty like he just woke up in a sauna. Junho opens his eyes slowly, feeling the source of the heat attached to his back move a little. As he blinks, he realises it’s Minjun spooning him from behind, breathing into the back of Junho’s neck with his arm latched around his waist, fist pressed to the engineer’s chest.

Early dawn sunrays immediately inform Junho that they, in fact, have slept together through the night. Junho didn’t even need a sleeping pill to pass out like this, now that’s something.

Another notification sounds, and this time seems to wake Minjun because he rolls on his back sighing. Junho doesn’t know how to face him now. What was supposed to be just a comforting hug turned into a full night’s sleep with the man he’s supposed to keep a certain distance from.

Minjun coughs and Junho turns around, sitting up, his back completely wet. Just how many buckets did Minjun sweat overnight?

“Hey.” Minjun looks at him, his eyes seemingly more focused and clear.

“Hey. I didn’t mean to fall asleep here.” Junho smiles innocently and Minjun rubs his eyes, smirking a little.

“It’s fine. I can’t remember much of what happened yesterday anyway. My mind was too foggy.” He sits up languidly.

“I swear I didn’t do anything inappropriate,” Junho defends himself immediately. Surely, the kiss on the forehead doesn’t count as inappropriate. Minjun chuckles at him.

“I wasn’t thinking about that, but good to know. I hope I didn’t say anything stupid, though. I tend to do that when I have a fever.” He stares at Junho and, unconsciously, the latter glances away quickly. “Okay, it means I said something.”

“Nothing much.” Junho shrugs.

“Then tell me if it’s nothing much.” The engineer returns his gaze to Minjun, his hair a complete mess.

“You praised my looks.”

“Oh.” Minjun seems to be a little perplexed as his eyes dart away. Junho grabs the thermometer off the bedside table and gives it to Minjun, attempting to make this moment a little less awkward for them both.

“Here, let’s see what it shows.” Minjun takes it while Junho pulls out his phone and checks the time, which is a quarter to six. He also reads the two text messages that woke them up. Both are from Kwon, inquiring about Minjun’s condition; the therapist must be coming back from a nightclub or something to still be awake so early on a Saturday morning. He decides to wait for the new thermometer readings before replying to him.

“How are you feeling today?”

“Better. Although the headache is still terrible, and my throat feels like sandpaper.” Minjun yawns, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. “Are you sure you won’t catch the virus?”

“Not likely, I’ve already told you I get flu vaccines regularly. I’m good.” Junho smiles softly, finding something about Minjun’s unkempt look very endearing. He’s always so proper looking and this side of him looks simply… cute. Junho kicks himself mentally for letting his thoughts drift off course when there’s a sick man in front of him.

“Oh, right… The fever must’ve deleted that information from my brain.” Minjun leans back a little, running a hand through his dishevelled hair.

“Do you want to invite your parents over? They can come to check on you. I’m completely fine with that,” Junho suggests, but Minjun shakes his head.

“No, they worry about me more than they should.”

“They’re not satisfied with your job?” Junho wouldn’t be too surprised. It is a complicated job, after all. Especially when Minjun has already fought a bunch of intruders for Junho and his contract was changed to 24/7, leaving little to no chance to see his parents.

“They’re not enthusiastic about it, let’s just say that.” His smile is reminiscent. “When I left Special Forces, they were so relieved thinking I’d get a simple office job, but when I told them I might take on the bodyguard duties, they didn’t look very thrilled. However, they didn’t try to talk me out of it. So, I tend to keep some things from their knowledge to help them sleep better at night.”

Junho gazes at his profile, thinking about how his own father must’ve wanted the same for Junho. This family love is always about protecting each other at some cost. “Well then, let’s keep it a secret from your parents.” Minjun nods, and the beeping informs them it’s time to check the thermometer.

Minjun looks at it. “39,3 C,” he says.

“Dropped by 8 parts overnight. That’s good. By the way, I’m giving you a week off.”

“What?” Minjun arches his eyebrow and Junho can already sense his scepticism.

“The doctor said I should and I don’t want you getting worse. Just stay at home and heal properly.” 

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine by Monday,” he tries to reason.

“Minjun, I don’t think you’ll be completely fine by then. It’s Saturday morning. Your temperature is still high. I should give you two weeks off, but I know you probably wouldn’t like that. One week of lazing around the house should be just fine. I don’t want to risk your health.”

“But–”

“Shut up or I’m calling your parents.” They stare at each other for some time until Minjun exhales and looks away.

“Fine. Meanwhile, in my absence, you’ll be escorted by three bodyguards at all times when you’re out of the house.”

“Three?!” Junho screeches and it’s Minjun’s turn to look at him with a smug grin.

“It’s either three healthy men or one sick man. Your choice.” That’s not really a choice, Junho rolls his eyes.

“Goddammit. Playing dirty, I see.”

“Just using your sly tactics against you, imp.” Junho huffs, seeing Minjun’s grin getting wider. The answer is obvious.

“All right.” Junho touches his damp t-shirt unconsciously, fingers slipping beneath the short sleeve. “But three guards? Is that really necessary? Maybe you can decrease the number to two…”

“I can’t. If I’m not there, I want to know you’re protected well. Give me that piece of mind, will you? I couldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to you while I’m staying here, drowning in sweat.”

Junho freezes momentarily, taking in Minjun’s meaningful gaze, the silence between them gradually becoming heavier. This is not the fever talking. Minjun is sincerely concerned and he doesn’t want to take any chances, letting Junho know just how much he really cares about his wellbeing and not just from a bodyguard’s perspective. He wants Junho to be aware of how troublesome this situation is for him and that he wants to do everything to make sure nothing happens to the engineer in his absence. 

“Okay,” Junho says quietly and Minjun smiles a little.

“I need a shower. I feel gross.” The bodyguard moves over to Junho and places his feet on the ground, sitting beside Junho.

“Are you sure you won’t pass out?” Junho inquires.

“Only one way to find out.” Minjun smirks and stands up, lazily making his way to the bathroom with Junho’s eyes glued to his damp, glistening bronze skin until he disappears behind the closed door.

Junho just sits idly and when he hears the water start running, he sighs. How different are his days going to be without Minjun around him? They’ve been attached at the hip for the past few months; Junho forgot what it feels like to be without him. At first, he didn’t even want to hear anything about having a personal bodyguard. Now, he finds it hard to imagine his daily life without this person watching over him. When he thinks about being protected by other guards, Junho cannot feel the same sense of safety he gets from being around Minjun, and that’s slightly daunting. He has become so dependent on Minjun and the aura of protectiveness he exudes, Junho feels like an idiot for thinking giving him a week off would have no effect on his sense of safety. Still, he doesn’t want Minjun working and pushing himself instead of healing properly. Sacrifices must be made, and he trusts Minjun’s judgement when it comes to choosing the people who are supposed to protect his client. One week.

Junho already misses his shadow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this was a rather calm chapter, I hope it didn't bore you to death lol. But I wanted to switch their positions and have Junho take care of his bodyguard to show Minjun that Junho is an equally capable and trustworthy man haha. Let me know what you thought~


	14. Shadow Figures

The hallway feels crowded with three bodyguards securing Junho in his office. It’s been almost a week since Minjun got sick and him staying at home was proving to be a little complicated for Junho. He wasn’t too happy with so many people following him around, and more than that, he can’t talk to them like he does to Minjun. Junho finds it bothersome when he thinks of something funny and can’t say it because he knows he wouldn’t get an equally humorous answer (the best these new guards can offer is to chuckle awkwardly). The engineer misses their conversations, witty remarks, and so much more, from his usual routine. 

Minjun’s presence is simply irreplaceable, leaving this gaping void that these three men can’t fill. They’re more like quiet, obedient androids, whereas Minjun is a proper human being who allows himself to do and say more; that’s what excites Junho and makes their interactions more interesting. He misses their light-hearted banter.

Minjun’s condition is rapidly getting better since he’s forced to stay at home, eat, and pamper himself while Junho is away. Maybe it’s Junho’s imagination, maybe not, but when he comes home, it feels like Minjun’s been waiting for him, always greeting Junho with an enthusiastic smile. Perhaps it’s just his wishful thinking, but it makes him feel so damn cosy. Junho admits that the thought of Minjun waiting for him is so endearing that he has a hard time resisting the urge to pull him into a tight embrace.

These days, they always talk about how Junho’s day went while the engineer cooks his dinner—moments Junho finds oddly relaxing. Although he notices Minjun is getting really bored of his stay-at-home bodyguard status and is itching to get back to his regular schedule, Junho enjoys this domestic version of his bodyguard, no guns and no suits.

Going to the shop or somewhere other than his job is really annoying. He attracts so much attention when he’s being escorted by the guards that Junho almost wants to flee at times. He even notices random passers-by sneaking photos of him thinking he’s a celebrity, which is rather irritating. Sure, he’d get looks when he’s with Minjun but one bodyguard isn’t as extreme as three. Junho’s not so sure if attracting so much attention is a good thing, and he feels his anxiety pop up occasionally, thinking he is an easy target. Kwon helped him with that two days ago, reminding Junho the reaction is all in his head and he has the power to control it. Being wary is okay, but turning paranoid is another story. Junho does his best to repeat that mantra and it helps him.

He senses commotion in the hallway and sees Wooyoung grinning at the guards, assuring them he’s not a threat by showing his detective badge. He gets a pass to Junho’s room. These guards are truly like a human firewall.

“Hey, did you fire Minjun?” Wooyoung shakes the engineer’s hand, grinning.

“No, he got the flu, so I’m letting him rest.” Junho chuckles and shows him to the small lilac sofa on the other side of the room. There’s a grey wooden table in front of it and a small box with the beetle bug inside.

“So, these men are his replacement.”

“Yeah, I didn’t have much say in that decision,” Junho half-smiles. “Anyway, how are you doing?” They sit down, facing each other.

“Busy as hell. This case is so confusing,” Wooyoung sighs, intertwining fingers in his lap. “They’re doing everything to cover their tracks; sometimes I don’t know who is who, what is what…”

“Damn, that’s upsetting. Did you learn anything new at all?” Junho is disappointed to hear Wooyoung is having a hard time, but it’s understandable since they’re dealing with very cunning people.

“You asked me to look into Chansung and the company he works for. Park Jinyoung as well. I did that.” Wooyoung licks his lips and leans in a little, placing his forearms on his knees. “I don’t like Chansung. Or his boss. There’s barely anything I can dig up about them and that’s a bad sign. That company has some of shady deals with people who belong to the organised crime world, and if you deal with people like that, it means you’re not on very high moral ground to begin with. I mean, they know who they’re working with, signing contracts and stuff. I can’t get access to the contracts either, so that’s unfortunate.”

Junho exhales deeply. “Yeah, knowing what’s in the contract would make your job much easier. You don’t have enough proof to issue a search warrant, I suppose.”

“True. Then there’s your father’s colleague, Park Jinyoung.” Wooyoung scratches his eyebrow. “Couldn’t find much information on him either, but I found a police report stating he was a part of a huge bar brawl back in his university days, allegedly defending a woman from drunk gang members with a couple of his classmates. According to a witness, Mr. Park appeared to have had personal issues with the gang members, so the altercation wasn’t just about defending the woman. That could mean Mr. Park may have been somewhat connected to the gang, but we may be shooting in the dark making allegations like this. The gang that was involved is no longer active either, so I can’t really draw any useful conclusions from this information. Cannot say if he’s still involved with questionable people or not. So far his record is clean.”

“What about the woman?”

“Good question. Her name wasn’t mentioned. Can’t decide if it was done deliberately or if the officer who wrote the report was simply lousy. The standard must have been worse back then—it happened a long time ago, after all. Or maybe a bribe was involved. I don’t know.”

“I wonder if dad knew about this record. I feel like he did, since he always thoroughly checks the people working with him,” Junho deduces, knowing the diligence of his father.

“Probably, but we can’t know if he was aware of the alleged connection to the gang. For all we know the witness might be wrong, too.”

“So, nothing is certain.” Junho leans back, feeling defeated. There is something going on, but then, there isn’t. Everything is way too complicated.

“About your father’s death…” Junho stiffens, staring at Wooyoung’s pensive expression. “Just an hour before your father’s arrival, a new janitor showed up, which is very suspicious. No one paid much attention to him since the staff was very busy and didn’t question the man; we figure he faked being a little sick to wear a face mask, and he had on a baseball hat, so no one really could tell what he looked like. The guy also avoided surveillance cameras. However, one of the witnesses claimed he noticed a small purple birthmark near the left man’s eye. I checked our database but couldn’t find anyone with that description. So, I hit another dead end.” Wooyoung looks apologetic.

“A dead end after another dead end. The Serpent members are fucking ninjas.” Junho rubs his temples, exasperated.

“Yeah, sorry to disappoint you.”

“No, it’s fine. At least we know some things.” They smile at each other and Junho bends forward, taking the plastic box in his hands. “Maybe my creation will help you collect more evidence.” Wooyoung arches his eyebrow and Junho smirks, opening the box. Wooyoung stares at the very realistic looking beetle bug.

“I assume it’s not real.” He glances at Junho questioningly.

“No, this little thing - it’s a tracking device. I created it especially for this case, hoping it’d help immensely.” He gives Wooyoung the device and the latter inspects it carefully. “It can record video and audio, and it can be moved remotely, so it’s very convenient to use. It looks just like a real bug, doesn’t it?”

Wooyoung looks up at Junho, admiration in his eyes. “Can’t tell the difference, to be honest. It looks amazing.”

“Pair it with your computer and it will transmit data there; the device itself doesn’t store anything. The battery lasts around nine hours, so you’ll have plenty of time to fly it back to you and charge it.”

“I’m astonished you created something so incredible. I’m speechless.” Wooyoung hands it back to Junho. “This might give me a much needed breakthrough.”

“That’s the idea,” Junho smirks. “Let me show you how it works and how to fly it.”

Wooyoung nods and Junho starts introducing him to the beetle bug, explaining all the aspects and how to get the best from it. Their session lasts for about half an hour and by the end of it, Wooyoung is almost one with the device, surprising Junho at how fast he’s able to learn new things. The detective looks like an energetic kid with a new toy, and Junho couldn’t be more satisfied with the expression on Wooyoung’s face knowing he will use the bug to its full potential.

“Cannot wait to start using it.” Wooyoung puts the box with the device in his backpack.

“Cannot wait to hear good news.” Junho attempts a wink, which makes Wooyoung laugh.

“You kind of blinked with both eyes. Hilarious.” Junho pushes him playfully.

“Shut up…”

“Okay, I’m leaving before you take the bug back.” Wooyoung pats Junho’s arm, looking for a truce. 

“Yeah, don’t get on my bad side.” Junho smirks and shakes Wooyoung’s hand as a farewell.

“Or you might send a battalion of robots to my place.”

“Exactly.”

“I’ll update you when I get something useful to share with you.” Wooyoung starts turning on his heel. “And tell Minjun he’s an idiot for disregarding flu vaccines. He must think he’s not susceptible to viruses; even robots can get them.”

“Okay, I’ll relay your message,” Junho says, grinning, and Wooyoung nods, leaving his office with a piece of hope in the shape of a beetle bug, crafted by Junho’s brilliant robotics team.

 

+

 

Junho hears noise coming from the TV when he enters the house, feeling a little tired because he had to run some errands during and after work hours; doing that with a bunch of guards around takes more energy. Neither Minjun nor Wolie greets him, which is kind of disheartening. He takes off his shoes and walks to the living room where he witnesses an unexpectedly cute sight.

Minjun is sleeping on the sofa, one arm behind his head, propped against a decorative pillow. The black ball of fur on his stomach is Wolie, and the bodyguard’s other hand is in her fur. They obviously fell asleep while watching TV. Junho looks at the screen and sees a documentary about emperor penguins.

Junho pulls his phone and snaps a quick photo, saving this memory in a digital form. There’s no way he’s going to refrain from doing that when the vision is basically asking for it. Maybe he will be able to show it to Minjun someday. One more picture for his secret collection. A sweet collection, nonetheless.

Junho walks over to the sleeping human and the cat, noticing her hair all over Minjun’s maroon t-shirt and some on his dark grey sweatpants. He really should brush her fur more often to avoid the shedding.

He sits down and touches Wolie’s fur, avoiding Minjun’s fingers because he doesn’t seem to be in a really deep sleep. The cat’s head perks up and she meows at her owner, enjoying Junho’s fingers scratching her head.

Minjun sighs and opens his eyes slowly, looking a little perplexed until his mind registers his surroundings fully. “Oh, I fell asleep,” he says.

“When you have a cat in your lap, it’s easy to do that. You’re trapped.” Junho chuckles, seeing how Minjun doesn’t have the heart to move from his lying position, though he moves his hand from the cat’s body and rubs his eyes briefly instead. “It looks like she loves you more than me.”

“No way. She spends most of her day in your room. Witnessed it during your absence.” Minjun smirks a little. “I’m just a substitute.”

“Well then, let me help you out. Come to daddy.” Junho picks up the cat and presses her to his chest, kissing the top of her head, but she just wriggles out of his grasp and runs away. Junho looks at Minjun, sceptical. “I think you lied to me.”

“She’s just playing hard to get.”

_She’s not the only one_ , is what Junho would like to say, but keeps it to himself and just chuckles at Minjun’s remark as he sits up and places his feet on the floor, leaning back with one arm on top of the sofa frame.

“How was your meeting with Wooyoung? Anything good?” Minjun inquires.

“He told me to relay his message to you,” Junho clears his throat. “It goes like this: Minjun is an idiot for disregarding flu vaccines. He must think he’s not susceptible to viruses; even robots can get them.”

Minjun shakes his head, chuckling. “I don’t think I’m not susceptible. I just forgot to get it, I guess.” Minjun’s expression turns more serious. “What about the information regarding the case?”

“Nothing much, except for Chansung & Co doing shady deals with questionable people; Jinyoung was part of a huge bar brawl back when he was a student, supposedly protecting a woman from drunk evil gangsters... And my father’s suspected but unidentified killer may have a purple birthmark near his left eye. Wooyoung’s hitting dead ends, basically.”

“Well, that sucks, to put it simply,” Minjun agrees.

“Yeah, so I gave him the bug and really hope it will help with the case.”

“I have no doubt it will. No one will be expecting that.” Minjun smiles, placing his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, his arm briefly brushing against Junho’s, the bodyguard’s body sinking deeper into the soft back cushion.

“Anyway, how’s your health?” Junho leans back comfortably as well.

“I’m good. Temperature is normal. My throat is fine. I really shouldn’t be spending my time here. Give me a pass for tomorrow?” He turns his head to Junho, pleading with a kicked puppy look. Junho’s not going to give in.

“No, tomorrow’s going to be a very uneventful Friday. Rest properly. I’m saving you for Saturday.” He grins and Minjun raises his eyebrow. “Forgot to tell you about this robotics convention I was invited to a couple of weeks ago. I’m going to do a presentation, and we will have our own booth to showcase our creations and all that jazz. So, I’ll need you by my side because I’m tired of your guards not appreciating my fascinating sense of humour.”

There’s a soft smile on Minjun’s face, both of them gazing at each other with their heads placed on the back cushion. Junho’s breathing deepens, absorbing the warmth radiating from Minjun’s face. He notices him swallow slowly, Minjun’s expression gradually turning to something more intense and weighty, his lips parting slightly. Junho realises how close they sit next to each other, their arms almost touching, and Junho licks his lips unconsciously, almost exploding with desire to kiss him, to tackle him right here and now. 

Then, he notices it, that dark sultry ambiance behind Minjun’s eyes, so rarely seen yet so effortlessly arousing Junho every time he has the luck to witness it. He never knew just one look was enough to make him hard, but with Minjun, anything is possible. Tension increases in his groin and his breath shudders slightly, his brain in full emergency mode not knowing what to do. If he leans in, he might fuck up everything. If he doesn’t, well, he will still be pretty screwed up but at least he won’t dishonour Minjun’s problematic request, which the latter is making really hard for Junho to commit to right now.

Before Junho can ponder any more, Minjun snaps his head away, and Junho doesn’t miss the shaky exhale he releases. 

Minjun stands up quickly. “Okay, I can deal with waiting one more day.” He glances back at Junho. “Saturday, I’m back in business.”

“Yeah,” Junho says and Minjun nods, making his way out of the living room and upstairs.

Once he’s alone, Junho sighs with what seems like years of burden escaping him. That moment lasted just a few seconds, but they seemed like eons. Junho rubs himself through his jeans and bites on his lower lip, his body reacting to the rough caress with a shiver down his spine.

Being around Minjun is difficult. Having him away is difficult, too. Just how the fuck is Junho supposed to live? This is getting out of hand.  
Junho hurries to his room and slips his hand beneath his boxers, stroking himself in a rush. This will have to suffice. It must. 

 

+

 

Minjun is pretty much shining; being outside of the house probably feels like escaping prison. He almost looks like he’s on steroids or something, his energy bursting while he helps Junho, Nichkhun, and Yeeun (head of the design department) with some of the heavy lifting in their booth. That is until Junho reminds him that if he relapses, Minjun’s going to be locked in the house again. So, the bodyguard opts for watching over them instead, clearly not missing his forced sick leave.

Even though Minjun is the only person invading Junho’s personal space, and he’s more than fine with that (he should penetrate more than just his personal space, but Junho won’t tell him that), he is also aware that there are a few more guards watching them from afar. It’s just the usual strategy when they’re at a public event, but Junho has finally learned to discern them in the crowd even though these men are rather stealthy. Spending time with Minjun and his guards taught Junho a thing or two.

They leave Khun and Yeeun in the DSMN Robotics booth. It’s almost time for Junho’s presentation and he starts feeling a bit nervous. He’s not afraid of public speaking, but he has seen “The Bodyguard” with Kevin Costner, and the prospect of getting shot while he’s on stage does look pretty possible with the ninja-like Serpent after him.

As they wait backstage while someone else introduces their topic, Junho taps his foot restlessly and bites on his thumbnail. Why did he agree to this? Sure, it’s good for his company; however, his excitement got the better of him when he gave a positive answer confirming his attendance and now he’s freaking out internally, trying to remember everything Kwon suggested during their therapy sessions. Junho tends to hyperbolise things sometimes, he knows that. But fuck, that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier to be on a stage in front of dozens of people.

Junho suddenly feels a gentle grasp around his wrist as Minjun moves Junho’s hand away from his mouth and stares at him with a crease of concern between his eyebrows. Junho gulps, facing Minjun up close, the latter’s thumb pressing against the heel of the engineer’s palm. “What’s wrong?” Minjun asks quietly.

“I just keep on imaging how I get shot as soon as I take the podium,” Junho confesses.

Minjun sighs and leans closer. “My men have eyes on the crowd. I have my eyes on you. I’m just a couple of steps away in case anything does happen, which I doubt will since it’s not the Serpent’s style to expose themselves like this. You’re safe.”

Junho inhales sharply and cannot help himself as he presses his forehead against Minjun’s right shoulder, closing his eyes briefly and allowing himself this liberty. Minjun must understand how anxious he is since he’s still holding onto the engineer’s wrist, his thumb gently caressing the soft skin.

Minjun’s words resonate within him, bringing the much needed assurance that everything will be fine, so Junho believes it. These encouraging words came from someone who cares about Junho’s wellbeing and he wouldn’t say something like this if he didn’t believe it himself.

“Thanks,” Junho whispers and pulls back as Minjun lets go of his arm. At the same time, they hear loud clapping and the previous speaker abandons his spot. It’s Junho’s turn.

The host shows a short clip about DSMN Robotics and soon after invites Junho to talk about his topic. Knowing there are people there to watch over him, he walks on stage with much less tension in his stride and delivers his speech in a steady tone.

Nothing bad happens. No one is pointing a sniper rifle at him. No one is throwing grenades to destroy him. More than anything, Junho can feel Minjun’s eyes on him and that wraps him in an invisible cloak of safety. All goes well.

By the end of the Q&A session, Junho’s throat feels a little dry, so the first thing he does when he gets off stage is grab a water bottle he actually forgot to bring with him on stage. As he drinks, his eyes scan through the people running around the backstage and he almost chokes when he sees Chansung a little further away talking to someone.

“Motherfucker is here,” Junho hisses and Minjun looks in the same direction. Chansung doesn’t seem to notice them, immersed in a conversation.

“Why is Jihoon with him?” Minjun asks immediately, making Junho shift his eyes to the bodyguard.

“Wait, you know him?” Junho can’t believe this is happening. Minjun knows that wretched man.

“Jihoon? Yeah, I just wanna know what’s his connection to Chansung.”

Junho frowns. “Minjun, he’s Chansung’s boss. Jung Jihoon is the one who sent Chansung to screw me over.” Junho notices astonishment in Minjun’s eyes as they stare at each other, Junho getting into defensive mode. “What I want to know about, though, is your connection to this man.”

Minjun appears to be slightly uncomfortable and he glances away for a moment, but then returns his gaze to Junho and sighs. “When I was in rehab, there was a man who’d always get his treatments done at the same time as I did. Long story short, he was hitting on me.” Junho’s nostrils flare—just thinking about it is enough to multiply his hatred towards Chansung’s boss. Minjun seemingly notices the abrupt change in Junho’s demeanour and he adds quickly, “I rejected him because I was still dealing with my feelings, and he seemed like the type who just wants to play around, so I didn’t want to be a toy to another man. I attract the type, though.” Minjun scoffs, glancing at the despicable duo. Junho feels immediately sympathetic, his animosity watering down seeing Minjun’s melancholic expression.

“Sorry, I just…” Junho sighs.

“No, I get it… I made at least one good choice back then.” Minjun looks away and his face stiffens. Junho notices Jihoon approaching them, walking slowly with a confident expression. Oh fuck no, is he going to talk to them? Thankfully, he left Chansung behind. Junho braces for the impact.

“Minjun, I’m thrilled to see you here. It’s been a while.” The taller male completely ignores Junho’s presence and Junho doesn’t know if he should be happy about that or not. Maybe Chansung told him about Minjun and how he smashed his face to the ground, so could he be avoiding contact with the engineer out of awareness? “You look great.” Junho’s eye almost twitches at how bluntly Jihoon is ogling his bodyguard.

“Thanks. I can’t chit-chat though. I’m on duty,” Minjun responds coldly and Jihoon barely smirks.

“I always think of you as the one who got away. I still like you a lot, and I’d love to meet you someplace more private.” Jihoon latches his palm onto Minjun’s chest, and Junho wants to pull out a chainsaw and cut it off. The audacity this bastard has. Clearly, Chansung learned a lot from him, although Jihoon has more class about his approach. His presence is overwhelming, and it’s not because he’s so goddamn tall and obviously spends a lot of time in a gym.

“I’ll have to decline.” Minjun removes Jihoon’s hand from his chest, the latter’s expression turning more intense.

“See, this is why I like you. You’re a great challenge.”

“I’m not a trophy.” Minjun maintains his strict exterior.

“Of course you’re not. Too bad you work for someone else because I’d love to have you around.”

“Okay, are you done? I’m kind of busy,” Junho interrupts impatiently, drawing Jihoon’s attention to him.

The previous sensual playfulness disappears from Jihoon’s face and the temperature drops by fifty degrees as soon as his sharp eyes land on Junho’s face. It’s not often that Junho feels intimidated by someone, but this man possesses that power. Jihoon seems offended by Junho’s mere existence, staring down at him like he’s a hundred-year-old, used, worthless toothbrush. Junho has never talked to him in person, so this encounter is definitely going to leave a deep impression in Junho’s mind as one where the amount of disrespect can’t be measured in any shape or form.

“Yes, we’re done,” his icy tone almost physically hurting Junho, who can’t believe he’s still standing straight after Jihoon pierced his body with his laser-like gaze.

Immediately, Jihoon’s expression changes when he looks at Minjun, baffling Junho. He has never done anything to the man, and yet it seems like Jihoon hates him with a passion. Is it because he wants to have Minjun, and he can’t have him since he’s working for Junho? Or is it because he despises Junho as a rival in the same industry? There’s no way to tell, Junho can only guess. Either way, he hopes to never encounter this asshole ever again.

“I hope we’ll see each other sometime soon.” Jihoon’s declaration is meant solely for Minjun, and the tall man turns and walks away.

Once he’s far enough, Junho exhales shakily, hatred simmering in his chest. Right about now, it’d be nice to learn about hidden superpowers so he could throw Jihoon into a pit of shit.

“What a fucking dick,” Junho hisses and looks at Minjun. “Is it only me, or did it look like he wanted to skin me alive when I interrupted your lovely conversation?”

“He did look offended,” Minjun rephrases it. “He never showed that side to me before.”

“I’m sure he showed you only the good side, which must be about one percent of his overall horrible personality.” Junho crosses his arms on his chest, watching Jihoon walk on stage and introduce his own presentation. “I can’t believe you know him. This world is too small. Don’t tell me Jinyoung hit on you at some point as well?”

Minjun laughs, and Junho tries to hold a serious face while staring at his bodyguard, but the corner of his lip twitches involuntarily. “Yeah, he wanted to marry me and take me to Bora Bora for our honeymoon.” Junho snorts at the reply.

“So, what made you say no to him?”

“I wanted to go to Switzerland.” Minjun’s answer forces a laugh out of Junho’s throat.

“I’ll take you to Switzerland,” Junho blurts and immediately kicks himself mentally because Minjun’s smile falls and Junho doesn’t know what to make of his neutral expression. Fuck, he probably went too far, insinuating something he shouldn’t have. “I mean, I might have a business trip there someday.” Junho attempts to backpedal. He’s so tired of walking on eggshells.

“A casual trip is fine, too.” Finally, he offers a light half-smile to Junho. “Someday,” Minjun adds and looks away, making it feel like a promise with a hidden meaning only both of them are aware of. 

Junho grabs onto it like a starving dog bites onto a bone. That tiny prospect of him and Minjun spending their time together as proper lovers after all this Serpent saga is over elicits a bittersweet emotion within Junho. He wants that so bad, but to actually achieve that seems very unlikely in the near future. With all the dead ends, their relationship can’t progress anywhere.

Junho would love to have a fast-forward button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that unexpected meeting for you, huh? And let's pray Junho gets to take Minjun to Switzerland someday lol. Please don't be just a silent reader, tell me your thoughts!


	15. The Birthday

  
[](https://imgur.com/0kqaihW)  


 

As days went on and he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with the property and his father’s belongings, Kwon had suggested that to help him move on, perhaps Junho should sell the house and leave the melancholic memories behind so he can focus on his future instead. 

So, the engineer made a very well-thought-out decision to sell his childhood house, pack the old man’s personal things and donate some of them to charity. What Junho had deemed to be too personal to give away he had chosen to take to his own house and go through everything when he feels more comfortable doing so. 

Friday seemed like a proper day for packing and meeting with a realtor (to take photos of the property and bring in the contract) since the weather forecast didn’t look very promising for Saturday: heavy rain and thunderstorms were ahead. At times like these, Junho is very glad he has someone as reliable as Nichkhun managing things for him back at the office while the owner of the company runs his personal errands during regular work hours.

Although he had help packing up the house, Junho took it upon himself to empty his dad’s bedroom. He folds the last suit and puts it in a cardboard box, eyes lingering on his father’s empty walk-in closet. Everything that had belonged to the old man is packed neatly in boxes scattered around the large house. It’s still slightly surreal to be in this house and not see his dad. 

The pastel blue bedroom exudes tranquillity, and as Junho sits back on the large bed, he sighs, accepting this twisted reality he’s forced to deal with. He thinks back and cannot believe just last week he met Jihoon; the encounter left distaste in his mouth he can still feel when he remembers that man—not only because he approached them seemingly in an attempt to cast a net of seduction on Minjun, but also because of the way he glared at Junho when he interrupted whatever mental mating dance Jihoon was performing for the engineer’s bodyguard. There was nothing pleasant about his presence and it irked Junho, making him wish he could erase the memory of the contemptuous look he got from Chansung’s despicable boss. 

When they were about to leave the event, Minjun jokingly had said they slightly resembled each other visually, and Junho had to restrain himself from kicking him in the nuts for even suggesting that. But that also brought another troublesome realisation: if Minjun thinks they have visual similarities, can Jihoon actually make Minjun’s feelings for Junho sway? He is much taller with very impressive looks in general and has this odd arrogant confidence about him that draws people in and makes them admire the man. With Junho and Minjun’s relationship being as inconclusive as it is now, the more he thinks about it, the more he feels his own confidence wither. 

What if Jihoon decides to pursue Minjun just to get back at Junho? The engineer flops back on the bed and groans, exasperated. Everything is just not in his favour. Even if Minjun sort of made a vague promise about their future relationship when Switzerland came up in their conversation, Junho isn’t fully sure that _it is_ going to happen. Many things can change over the course of time, and that uncertainty haunts him. 

Still lying on the bed, Junho hears someone approaching the bedroom and when he turns his head, he sees Minjun, hands in the back pockets of his dark blue jeans, his white t-shirt surprisingly clean—he was supposed to pack things in the office.

“You look too clean. Did you even lift a finger?” Junho inquires with fake mockery, and Minjun chuckles, coming closer.

“I’m finished, actually. Everything’s in the hallway. Charity truck just rolled in the yard and the moving truck is about to. Should I tell the driver of the second truck to load the boxes and take them to your house? The realtor should show up in twenty minutes or so.”

“Yeah, he can take everything now. Just help me with the boxes for the charity truck.” Junho sits up. They’ve been here since morning, it’s already way past lunch time and he feels hungry. “Did you find anything edible?”

“No,” Minjun pokes the box with his toes. “Unless you’re interested in condiments.”

“Sure, a jar of mustard sounds about right,” Junho snorts. “So, did you empty all the drawers in his office?”

“Yeah, I didn’t leave any documents behind, so you’ll be able to scan through them whenever you’re up to it. There’s a lot,” Minjun smiles and hooks his thumbs around the straps of the gun holster. “Took down all the photos and went through the attic, basement, and the rest of the house to make sure we took everything.”

“Wasn’t I supposed to go through half of the house?” Junho arches his eyebrow. Minjun works too damn fast, but he probably shouldn’t be complaining.

“Besides the documents, there weren’t that many personal belongings to pack, to be honest. And I didn’t want to interrupt you here…” Minjun purses his lips briefly, his considerate nature making Junho knit his eyebrows. Indeed, he lost track of time while going through every article of clothing and other small things in the room. “It seems like I showed up right on time.” Minjun glances at the boxes before them.

“Yeah, packing can be surprisingly tiring,” Junho smiles and remembers the day he moved out. Somehow, it was easier back then.

Minjun’s phone rings and he excuses himself quickly, walking out of the room. This house has always had great acoustics, so even though the bodyguard leaves the room to answer the call, Junho still can hear him.

“Hey, mom.” Junho’s ears perk up, and being the curious creature he is, the engineer makes his way towards the doorway to listen more closely. He’s not really an eavesdropping type, but Minjun receiving a personal call is a very rare occurrence. From his mom, nonetheless. “Yeah... Sorry, I wanted to call first and wish you a happy birthday, but I’m busy, you know that…” Minjun chuckles warmly. “No, I can’t come. But I’ll call you later to talk more, okay?” Silence. “Yeah, happy birthday, mom. I love you.” He can sense Minjun smile in that quiet moment. Junho walks out of the bedroom, staring at Minjun’s back a couple steps away, phone still pressed to the bodyguard’s ear as he nods. “Okay, talk to you later.” Minjun hangs up and almost jumps when the turns around and finds Junho gazing at him quietly.

Junho feels like shit for depriving Minjun of the ability to see his mom on her birthday. Why didn’t he ask Junho to let him go? The bodyguard looks slightly lost. “Why didn’t you tell me it’s your mom’s birthday? I would’ve let you go.”

Minjun licks his lips, seemingly looking for the right words. “I can’t go.”

“Why?”

“I can’t leave you. Mom’s birthday is not an emergency. I can get her present delivered, so it’s all right.” Minjun offers a soft smile but Junho just frowns and takes a few steps closer.

“You know, if my mom were alive, I’d cross oceans to deliver her a present and tell her I love her in person. Protecting me shouldn’t be your priority.”

“But it is. I know how much you hate having more than one guard around you. I accepted the sick leave only because I knew I had to get better quickly so I wouldn’t relapse and so I wouldn’t have to be concerned about your security for any longer than necessary. If it’s not an emergency, I’m not going to leave you.”

“Listen, I’m touched, but I just can’t comprehend you… choosing me… over your…” Junho’s words get stuck in his throat, realising what this means. Minjun choosing Junho… Making him his priority... That idea is so wild but it’s there, rooting itself in Junho’s mind. This is more stupefying than a regular love confession. Minjun is so concerned about Junho’s wellbeing he’s willing to make a pass on his mom’s birthday without even mentioning that to Junho. What’s even weirder is how Junho extracted that information so easily, but perhaps Minjun shared so straightforwardly because he knows his choice might look peculiar and it needs stronger arguments, so maybe he figured Junho would just shut the fuck up without digging deeper. Judging from Minjun’s tense expression, Junho’s right.

“Okay.” Junho composes himself. “Since you don’t want to ditch your duties and I don’t want to feel like a piece of shit for making you miss your mom’s birthday… How about we go and congratulate her together?”

“Are you serious?” Minjun blinks, not even trying to hide his astonishment.

“I mean, if you don’t want me there…” Junho scratches the back of his neck and glances away, starting to feel a little embarrassed.

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then what?”

“I’m not against that idea, but do you really want that? You don’t have to do this.” They stare at each other and Junho nods slowly.

“You told me your mom said I’m a lovely boy, so I figured it’d be very kind of me to prove it myself by bringing her a gift in person to repay her for monopolizing her son for an unspecified amount of time.” Minjun chuckles, rolling his head backwards a little, and Junho relaxes, smiling at him.

“Fine.” Minjun regains composure, slipping hands in his pockets. “Let’s go together, then.”

“What did you get her?” Junho asks, mulling over gift ideas.

“A custom-made silver pendant in the shape of her dog.” Minjun grins a little. “She adores Audrey more than me.” Junho chuckles and a thought pops into his head.

“I remember you said she’s obsessed with her garden. What if I get her a small decorative tree? Do you think she’d like that?”

“I think that would win her over.” Minjun looks satisfied with the suggestion, so Junho gains some courage. Making good first impressions is essential if he wants to have a wonderful relationship with the bodyguard’s family. That makes him wonder if his parents know about Minjun’s sexuality and the struggles he went through. Are they open-minded enough to accept their son bringing another man into their household as a life partner at some point? Not that anything’s settled between them yet, but it’s still worth thinking about. Junho has to remind himself to stop fantasising about things in advance because it’s so easy to get carried away. He clears his throat.

“So, let’s finish with the boxes and the realtor. Then, off to the garden supply shop to get the tree. Go back home to change into something more appropriate for the occasion, and off to your parents’ house?”

“Okay, sounds good,” Minjun seals the deal verbally, something intriguing about his mysterious half-smile.

“Great. Let’s move the boxes.” Junho walks back to the bedroom and grabs a large box, Minjun following suit. Junho’s looking forward to this evening, feeling quite curious to meet the people who brought Minjun into this world.

 

+

 

Junho shushes Wolie away from the white shirt placed on his bed as he has no wish to pick her fur off the clean shirt if she decides to lie down on it. He grabs the soft silk-like material and slips his arms into the sleeves, buttoning the shirt up and tucking it into black dress slacks. The shirt is a stylish semi-formal piece of clothing made of light material, and the V-shaped neckline exposes quite a bit of skin with the top button placed right in the middle of Junho’s sternum, framing his neck area nicely. He grabs a black belt with a minimalistic silver buckle and fastens it around his waist, more for looks than functionality. 

He leaves his bedroom and hears Minjun rummaging in his room. “I’ll be waiting downstairs,” he shouts, making his way to the first floor.

“Okay, I’ll be down in a bit,” Minjun replies as Junho descends into the hallway.

He puts on the black dress shoes and looks at himself in the mirror, thinking he looks pretty damn good. But he needs another opinion, so he takes a couple of side and front profile selfies and sends them to Nichkhun.

_‘I need your review.’_ Junho types the laconic order.

Khun takes a bit to reply, but his answer makes Junho snort. _‘What are you eating? I need that S line you own because Fei has been bugging me about doing squats for the longest time. Also, who are you trying to seduce? That shirt is borderline provocative.’_

_‘What are you talking about? It’s just a casual semi-formal outfit,’_ Junho replies.

_‘Casual semi-formal? I think you’re on a mission tonight and you’re in denial about that,’_ Khun teases.

_‘I’m on a mission to make a good impression, that’s all,’_ Junho argues innocently. Maybe there is an underlying motive, but with Minjun having this god-like self-control, there’s no way things could escalate between them, all things considered. He sulks a little, waiting for Khun’s reply, fixing the stylish mess on his head.

_‘Whatever you say, Junho. But Fei also thinks you look smashing hot, her exact words. You were born that way, so there’s nothing you can do about that. Clothes only enhance your advantages.’_

_‘Are you talking about my ass?’_

_‘Yes.’_

_‘Can you look past my ass because I already know it’s amazing. So shallow, Khun.’_

_‘Just stating facts.’_

_‘Your review was useless. Thanks.’_

_‘Anytime =] Have a good night.’_

Junho snorts and puts the phone back into his pocket. Well, his ego definitely was boosted, thanks to Khun and his wife. He taps his index finger on his protruding collarbone, waiting for Minjun to show up. He sure is taking a lot of time. How unusual of him.

Finally, Junho hears him approaching and sees Minjun with his eyes glued to his phone as he walks downstairs wearing black dress pants and a dark burgundy button up shirt. Shit, he looks so charming, but is there a time when he doesn’t? Junho sighs mentally.

Minjun almost trips when Wolie jumps right in front of his feet, probably jealous because she’s sensing they’re leaving her alone again. “Damn,” Minjun curses, jumping off the stairs onto the floor, steadying himself. When he finally looks at Junho, he freezes, his opaque eyes scanning Junho quickly from the heels of his shiny shoes to the top of his head.

Something flutters in Junho’s stomach as Minjun seemingly forgot he’s been staring for far too long. Is he impressed? Seems like it. Yet another ego boost, and Junho feels radiant. Minjun finally gathers his wits as he walks towards the shoe bench and sits down.

“What took you so long?” Junho looks at him lacing the shoes.

“I thought I lost mom’s present. Apparently, it fell under the chest of drawers _somehow_.” Minjun stands up and takes the small box out of the pocket of his pants. “I think we have a thief situation in the house.” He glances at Wolie, sitting innocently nearby. Then he raises the box and Junho sees a small scratch on the velvet surface. 

“She likes valuable things. That much is obvious,” Junho notes and chuckles, remembering all the times he’s had to retrieve stuff from her. “I hope there’s no damage to the pendant?”

Minjun opens the box and Junho sees the small silver poodle, very similar to Audrey with two shiny black crystals in the place of her eyes. “No, it’s good,” Minjun says, smiling a little. “With all the stealing, she obviously wants attention. Maybe you should take her to work, like some people take their dogs.” 

“No way. She’s a house cat. I’ll buy her everything she needs. Maybe even a second cat.” Junho grins mischievously, making Minjun shake his head.

“Yeah, I bet you would. You ready?” Minjun runs a hand through his hair, encouraging it to stay up off his face.

“Yeah, we can go.” Junho watches him walk towards the door, starting to feel a little nervous. This is happening. He’s about to meet Minjun’s parents. What in the world was he thinking when he offered this deal? Right, he wanted to make Minjun happy. So, he will commit to it.

 

+

 

They arrive in a rather nice neighbourhood, two cars following them behind. Minjun decided to double the security for obvious reasons: first, they’re out of the house in the evening; second, it’s his parents’ house and he will do everything in his power to make everyone feel at ease by ensuring their safety.

Junho, however, is starting to feel a little hesitant. He was so sure this was going to be a good idea in theory, but in reality, this is actually daunting. What if he says or does something that will make him look like a fool? What if Minjun’s parents do not like him? He’s doubting himself, and only when the car stops is he pulled out of his anxious thoughts, forced to face the facts: they have arrived and there’s no turning back, so it’s time to buckle up and show the best version of himself.

They get out of the car and Minjun opens the trunk for Junho to grab the dwarf cherry tree he had bought earlier, packed tightly and ready for planting. Junho takes it into his arms carefully while Minjun grabs a bouquet of flowers. As if sensing Junho’s nervousness, Minjun speaks up. “They won’t eat you alive, I promise.” 

“That’s good, because I’d prefer to be eaten when I’m deceased.” Minjun laughs at Junho’s morbid wit.

“Keep the perimeter tight around the fence,” Minjun instructs the guards surrounding them. “Okay, let’s go.” Junho swallows and nods, following right behind and taking a good look at the two-storey, red brick house.

Minjun knocks on the white door and Junho hears sonorous barking, assuming that’s Audrey. Shit, he wishes he could evaporate; he’s so uneasy. He’s not even in a proper relationship with Minjun, what the hell is wrong with him? He inhales and exhales, doing his breathing exercises discreetly.

Finally, the door opens and Minjun, that fucking bastard, moves around Junho and pushes him in first as if he’s been planning this all along. Junho can’t even express how much he would like to slap Minjun’s ass (not in a sexual way) because he was thrown into greeting his mom first. He stares wide-eyed at the woman with the warmest smile right in front of him—the same smile Minjun so often rewards him with. Junho finds himself instantly smiling back at her with the tree in his hands, ready to just drop it there and run away, but he doesn’t do that because her smile somehow hypnotises him while she rubs Junho’s arm encouragingly, as if sensing his nervousness.

“Indeed, what a lovely boy!” she says and Junho grins wider, hoping he doesn’t look too weird. Immediately, he’s affected by the kind aura oozing from her, feeling innocent affection for the woman. “Ah, I’m not a very good host, I’m sorry! Welcome to our house, I’m so excited to finally see you.” She is? Junho’s pleasantly surprised.

“Likewise, I’m glad to be here.” He hears Minjun close the door behind him, and as he does, another voice catches Junho’s attention. An older male offers him a friendly smile. 

“Please feel at home,” Minjun’s father says, his demeanour poised. Ah, that’s where Minjun got that feature from.

Junho bows respectfully at both of them. “It’s so nice to meet you; I hope I’m not intruding.” 

“Not at all! Minjunie never brings anyone here so the more the merrier! Also, I have to thank you for bringing him here, since I know how strict he can get with his duties.” The woman chuckles, receiving a judgemental glance from her son. 

“I feel like I have to repay you for stealing your son from you, changing his contract and not leaving him with any free time to hang out on his own. This is the least I could do.” Junho stares at her apologetically, but she just laughs softly.

“Even when he has free time, it’s not easy to make him come here, always so busy…” she reprimands benignly.

“Mom, stop making me look bad. I visit as often as I can.” Minjun sighs.

Junho feels something brush against his calves and as he looks down, he sees the petite dog sniffing him. “Oh, hey,” he says, and the poodle barks at him, wagging her tail. She’s very cute, almost looks like a plushy. “She’s adorable,” Junho says and remembers he’s still holding the tree in his arms. That’s probably a good time to offer his gift. “Ah, I got this dwarf cherry tree for you; I heard you have a beautiful garden, so I hope this can make a great addition to it. Happy birthday.” Instantly, Mrs. Kim’s eyes start shining.

“It looks wonderful! Thank you so much!” She holds onto Junho’s arms and he leans down to exchange kisses on cheeks, starting to feel warmth in his chest. She looks genuinely excited.

“Where should I put it for the time being?” he asks when she pulls away.

“Just right there, in the corner.” Junho does so and removes his shoes at the same time, watching Minjun walking to his mom to hug her tightly. She’s radiating love as Minjun kisses her cheek, and Junho feels so mellow looking at them.

“Happy birthday, mom.” He pulls back and gives the bouquet to the woman. “I got you something.” Minjun gives her the box and she opens it, gasping.

“Oh my, this is so adorable. I love it, Minjunie.” She hugs her son again, Junho noticing her eyes getting a little wet. “Thank you.”

“Do you want me to put it on you?” Minjun asks, pulling away. 

His mom nods, so he takes the pendant. She turns around, and when he’s done, she glances at Audrey. “Look, it’s you.” Audrey barks and Mrs. Kim looks at her son and Junho, seemingly thrilled. “We made some food, so let’s go to the kitchen.” 

The house gives off a relaxed vibe, walls painted in warm sandy hues, paintings on the walls, vintage-looking furniture with floral patterns, probably as old as Minjun, but it doesn’t look worn. On the contrary, that’s what makes the place emit cosiness, which soothes Junho. 

There’s a wooden table in the middle of the kitchen with a variety of dishes, four empty plates already laid out, and a candle in the middle creating an even homier mood. The kitchen isn’t big, but it’s enough for four people. Junho settles with Minjun on one side of the table while Minjun’s parents take the opposite.

The food is great, but what’s even greater is how friendly and easy-going Minjun’s parents are. The conversation with them flows easily and Junho catches himself feeling like he’s a part of the family. He’s never had a family dinner like this, never knew what it felt like. It’s just so…normal, lovely. There’s a bittersweet emotion rising in him as he watches Minjun interact with his parents, exchanging jokes and whatnot. A truly comforting and touching sight. 

He offered to come here for Minjun’s sake, but Junho finds himself enjoying this interaction more than expected. And even if he feels a little regretful that he didn’t have a chance to have an experience like this growing up, he feels thankful that he can have it now. Better late than never—this saying resonates within him now more than ever.

Leaning his elbow on the table, Junho’s chin is cradled in his palm when he notices Minjun staring at him while his parents are in a heated discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of electronic book readers. Minjun tilts his head slightly, arching his eyebrow a little as if asking Junho if everything is fine. Junho smiles and nods slightly, realising Minjun must have thought about the impact of this family dinner on Junho since he’s basically an orphan now. Minjun’s thoughtfulness makes him melt, and he also comes to the conclusion Minjun got that from his parents because they never once said anything that would make Junho feel uncomfortable. These people wrapped him in a cloak of acceptance, and bringing inner serenity to Junho.

Audrey barks, making them break their eye contact, and Minjun’s mom laughs at her as the dog rolls on her back. “I can’t give you anymore food, silly!” She gets preoccupied with the dog while the bodyguard’s dad gazes at his wife lovingly.

Suddenly, Minjun places his hand on Junho’s shoulder and leans in, whispering into his ear. “I’m going to get the cake and the candles, can you distract her for a bit?” Junho swallows, this closeness making the hair on his body stand up, Minjun’s lips almost touching his ear.

“Yeah,” he manages to say quietly, and the bodyguard pulls away, also exchanging meaningful glances with his father, who points at the drawer in the kitchen, probably where the candles are placed. That’s right, Minjun had mentioned on their way here his dad had bought a small birthday cake and he hid it in the refrigerator behind bags of lettuce and whatnot. His mom doesn’t suspect a thing since the older man helped with cooking and was in charge of managing the refrigerator so she wouldn’t see the cake. Junho thinks that’s so sweet of him to put in all this effort. Maybe that’s why Minjun is also so caring, he had a great role model growing up.

Junho stands up and walks around the table, squatting in front of Audrey and Mrs. Kim, so she’d be facing the living room and not the kitchen.

“Does she know any tricks?” he asks, seeing the woman’s eyes light up. He hit the jackpot.

“Oh yes, she’s very smart!” She starts throwing orders at Audrey, and the dog does all kinds of tricks while Junho keeps a watchful eye on what’s happening behind her back. He notices Minjun rolling his sleeves to his elbows and unbuttoning two top buttons of his shirt before he washes his hands and digs the cake out of the refrigerator. Carefully, he places the candles on the cake and lights them up while his mom has no idea what’s about to happen, excitedly showing Junho what Audrey is capable of.

Minjun finally takes the cake in his hands and walks to the table. His father stands up, so Junho does the same. When Minjun starts singing the birthday song, Junho and Mr. Kim join him, watching the excited birthday lady gasp.

The bodyguard’s mom is touched by all of this, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. When the song is over, she blows out the candles and laughs, allowing her husband to wipe her tears. Junho could jump into a pool of syrup and it still wouldn’t feel as sweet as the view in front of him.

“I hope you made a good wish,” Minjun says, setting the cake on the table.

“Of course. I wished for your happiness, son.”

“That’s not how birthday wishes work,” Minjun chuckles.

“That’s exactly how they work. If you’re happy, then I’m happy. That’s all I need,” she explains simply, making Minjun glance at the floor, a little embarrassed at her affectionate bluntness.

They sit down once again and enjoy the cake while holding another interesting conversation, this time about Junho’s company and how he comes up with all these inventions. Minjun’s dad looks particularly interested, so Junho shares some of his ideas and knowledge he has accumulated over the years.

“You’re so young, but you’ve already achieved so much! I bet your room is full of various awards,” Minjun’s mom notes.

“I keep them all at work; looks nice and impresses my customers.” Junho chuckles, enjoying the last piece of his cake.

“Minjunie also has a lot of awards, but he keeps them here. I told him he should bring them all to his work as well.”

“I have some at work,” Minjun says, sipping on juice.

“Just a tiny fraction! Junho, you should see his room for yourself. Minjunie is so modest about his achievements and I want him to flaunt it.” She laughs.

“I don’t think it’s interesting…” Minjun tries to back out of this, but now Junho’s curiosity piques at the prospect of seeing Minjun’s room. How different is it from his current apartment? There must be so much history left behind here.

“I want to see it.” Junho states and notices Minjun’s mom getting fired up even more by the idea.

“Go on then, show all these awards to Junho! Maybe he can convince you to take them with you since their only function here is to collect dust.”

Minjun sighs, “Fine.”

“Great, dad and I will clean the kitchen in the meantime,” she says and Minjun stands up slowly. He would probably do anything to please his mom, especially on her birthday.

Junho follows him upstairs, and as Minjun turns left, he opens the door for Junho to enter first. “Don’t judge, the room doesn’t reflect my current mental state.” The engineer snorts while entering, waiting for Minjun to pass him. Once he does, Junho closes the door to see if there’s a lame poster on the door since teenagers usually would have something like that. There is a poster, but not exactly what he was looking forward to: it’s just a landscape of mountains and a lake.

“Not what I had expected,” Junho says, turning around as Minjun crosses his arms on his chest and leans back against the table, turning his head left at Junho’s direction. A rectangular shelving unit is placed by the wall with a medium-sized bed in front and a window between them, red curtains framing it.

“What were you expecting? Bruce Lee? Schwarzenegger?” Minjun chuckles.

“Yeah, something like that.” Junho grins and makes his way towards the shelves, stacked with figurines, diplomas, and trophies. He really does have a considerable collection of memorabilia, from writing awards to military patches. The room has the same vintage vibe and warms colours as the rest of the house, creating a relaxing atmosphere with the only light coming from the corner of the room right above the table where Minjun’s standing, looking across the room at Junho. “Maybe you really should consider taking some of those back to S.W.A.G. headquarters?”

“I don’t know, maybe.”

“Why the hesitation?” Junho scans the contents of the shelves, his own shadow falling on the memorabilia as the light comes from behind.

“Not sure. Maybe I just want to leave it all behind. I’m a different person now.” 

“It’s still a part of you.” Junho’s eyes notice a corner of a photo peeking from a book, so he pulls on it and immediately starts laughing. “Truly, a different person. Of course you’d want to hide something like this.” He stares at a photo of Minjun, judging by the date on it he must be around 14 years old. He’s wearing a Snow White dress, looking super annoyed with other kids dressed in various, much cooler characters, laughing at him since it probably was against his will to wear that outfit. Minjun’s dissatisfied pouty expression is beyond entertaining as Junho cackles, turning around and showing the photo to a completely unamused Minjun. “I’m so taking this home with me.”

“No, you’re not.” Minjun starts making his way towards him, but Junho’s in one of his impish moods, so he teases him more.

“Yes, I’m totally taking it with me.”

“Come on, give it back, please,” Minjun tries to ask nicely, extending his hand for Junho to place the embarrassing photo in his palm, but the engineer hides it behind his back instead.

“Nothing can force me to return this to you. It’s staying with me.”

“We will see about that.” Minjun takes a step closer, Junho wearing a challenging expression.

“You’re my bodyguard, you can’t use force against me. Read the contract.” Junho smirks, still holding his hands behind his back, curious how Minjun will solve this puzzle.

“I know,” he says and makes Junho gulp, wiping the mischievous grin off his face when he closes the gap between their bodies and slips his arms around Junho, trapping him in an unexpected embrace, his fingers sliding down Junho’s hands to retrieve the photo.

Involuntarily, Junho drops the picture and it flies away on the carpeted floor, Minjun’s fingers partially intertwining with his, making Junho feel so defenceless yet gradually turned on by the lack of distance between them.

He’d expect Minjun to pull away by now but nothing like that happens and Junho’s breathing deepens, starting to feel really hot being embraced by the bodyguard. If Minjun wants to continue with that fucking deal to keep it professional between them, this is not the right way to do it. This is basically torture, and Junho wonders if that’s his plan to punish Junho for laughing at him.

However, by the sultry look in his eyes, Junho senses something is off. Minjun really wouldn’t do this just to show Junho what’s what. The way his eyes travel to Junho’s parted lips sends light tremors through his body. It takes all the remaining sanity for Junho to stay idle, because even in a moment like this, he finds it essential to not disrespect the goddamn request he’s been so good at executing.

Fuck, if Minjun really wants to keep it professional, he must take a step back right about now, because Junho is about to pass out from the tension in his body. It destroys him completely when he sees Minjun lick his own lips and lean in closer, his breath ghosting over Junho’s lips like an impending mini-hurricane.

Junho almost expects something or someone interrupt them, maybe Minjun coming back to his senses suddenly, because that’s what usually happens when they have _a moment_ , but it all goes beyond his comprehension when Minjun finally kisses him, almost knocking the wind out of his lungs just like that.

Junho’s heart is doing jumping jacks when that short kiss is over, and he barely finds the will to open his eyes. But he does and sees pure lust in Minjun’s charcoal orbs, finally realising this is it. They’re fucking done with walking on eggshells.

Minjun’s arms circle around Junho’s waist and press their bodies so close that Junho can sense he’s not the only one excited, feeling Minjun’s clothed erection against his hip. It makes Junho gulp and lick his lips, his own hands sliding up Minjun’s arms and to his neck, burying his fingers in Minjun’s hair. In this eye-opening moment, Junho finally gets a grasp of how much Minjun wants him, and that realisation arouses him even more. However, he waits for Minjun’s next move, just to relish in that knowledge of being wanted.

And Minjun delivers. His arms hug his torso tighter, kissing Junho in a more passionate way as the latter caresses his hair and jaw. Minjun’s right hand suddenly moves down and gets a handful of Junho’s ass, forcing a gasp out of the younger man, which gives a chance for Minjun to finally slip his tongue into Junho’s mouth and deepen their kiss, sending more pleasant tingling down to Junho’s groin.

Minjun twists their bodies unexpectedly and pushes the engineer, their lips still connected, until something firm touches Junho’s calves and he finds himself falling back on the bed with Minjun on top. That short moment without Minjun’s lips on his sends more oxygen to his hazy consciousness, and he watches the bodyguard get more comfortable in between Junho’s legs, then leaning down hastily just to go back to devouring Junho’s mouth in another obscenely wet kiss, setting a blazing wildfire within Junho.

His mind cannot compute what’s happening. All Junho knows is that he doesn’t want this to stop. He needs more, he needs all of it. So, he grabs onto the straps of Minjun’s holster, just like he did in that one explicit dream a while ago, and latches his mouth onto the bodyguard’s exposed neck, sucking onto the sizzling skin there; Minjun trembles in his grasp, and a sudden enlightenment comes to Junho’s overheated mind—that must be Minjun’s sensitive spot. Junho sucks harder, undoubtedly leaving a mark there, right where the shirt collar could cover it because Junho doesn’t want to be reprimanded for this later. Minjun actually fucking moans, making Junho’s dick twitch in anticipation.

Minjun suddenly pulls back a little as his hands slip down Junho’s waist and he untucks the engineer’s shirt, slipping his hands under the soft material. His fingers feel Junho’s firm abdominal muscles as he rides Junho’s shirt up all the way to his armpits, at the same time tracing damp kisses down Junho’s neck and collarbone. That deep neckline of Junho’s shirt is really goddamn useful at the moment. Minjun doesn’t get any more modest when he goes lower and flicks his tongue around Junho’s nipple, sucking on the sensitive skin there, forcing an airy moan out of Junho’s throat, the latter trying to suppress it by covering his mouth with his hand.

Shit, if this goes on, Junho’s going to lose his mind completely. Maybe he already has, he cannot think very straight at the moment. He just knows he wants more, so he latches his large hands onto Minjun’s butt and lifts his hips to grind against Minjun’s hard on, both of them releasing very sensual sounds. Hearing Minjun react to Junho’s ministrations like this is the most beautiful music to his ears.

Their lips clash again in another lust-filled kiss, and Junho’s hands find their way beneath Minjun’s shirt, feeling the muscles contract under his touch. Junho doesn’t understand how this can be real; they’re here, making out like wild animals, completely out of touch with reality. How many times did he dream about this? How many times did he masturbate thinking about Minjun pressing against him like he is doing it now? This is so much better than all these fantasies and it’s intoxicating as hell; Junho cannot find his way back to sanity with his mind completely taken over by this man he’s been craving to touch and kiss for weeks.

“Minjunie, can you come down and help me with the tree?” A muted voice coming from the first floor suddenly makes them halt whatever they were doing, breathing heavily. Minjun’s eyes widen like he has just woken up from a dream and, sadly, Junho can relate. 

It takes a second or two for Minjun to compose himself as he turns his face away and replies as normally as possible. “Coming!” he shouts back. Seems this answer is enough because his mom doesn’t say anything else.

Minjun licks his lips, staring down at an equally astonished Junho. “Fuck,” Minjun says and buries his face into the crook of Junho’s neck, the latter caressing his hair gently. “I completely lost control… I shouldn’t have done that…” the bodyguard confesses, his voice muffled against Junho’s skin.

Junho knits his eyebrows. “Hey, don’t say that. You wanted this. I wanted this. There’s only so much patience and self-restraint a man can have.”

Minjun breaks out of Junho’s comforting embrace and sits back on his heels, looking over Junho’s exposed body and clearly having a lot on his mind. Minjun rubs his face and Junho sits up as well, not sure what he should say or do, because knowing Minjun, he must be blaming himself for losing control and making out with his client he obviously has feelings for.

“I gotta go,” Minjun sighs, and as he’s about to leave the bed, Junho grabs onto Minjun’s hands, leans in, and kisses him softly.

“Don’t overthink this, okay?” Junho whispers, and Minjun exhales heavily.

“I can’t. It’s chaos in my head and… Fuck. I really have to go.” Minjun stands up and tucks his shirt back in, fixing his hair as he makes his way towards the door. “Sorry,” he says and leaves Junho all by himself. 

Well, shit. Junho falls back on the bed and hates himself that he has to think about the funeral to make himself go soft quickly. This evening was going so well and it’s kind of ruined now that Minjun feels guilty for losing his cool and giving in. Being all celibate isn’t doing Minjun any favours, that much is clear. How to convince him otherwise, though?

When Junho finally walks downstairs, he sees Minjun and his mom in the garden through the window planting the tree. He notices Mr. Kim looking at him, drying the plates, and Junho offers his help. “Do you need a hand with the plates?”

“Sure,” the older man smiles and gives Junho a dry towel. Doing something so mundane with Minjun’s dad feels sort of idyllic as they watch the son and mother work on the tree while Audrey prances around. Minjun looks relaxed now, smiling at whatever his mom is talking about.

“You know, Minjun is different now. He used to be all guarded no matter what, especially when he left the military.” Mr. Kim says in a serene tone. “And before enlisting, he was also different, more open. Every time we meet him, we try to get past his walls. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don’t. We know what he went through. We’re aware you know all about it, too. He called us one evening and said, _‘I told Junho everything’_. That’s when we knew he’s changing again and this time for the better. He doesn’t like talking about his feelings, but he’s my child, so I know him well.” Junho stiffens, not quite sure how he should react to this. So, he just listens, looking at the older man’s thoughtful profile.

“I was a policeman. I met all kinds of people. I can discern between good and bad, although not everything is just black or white in this world. Minjun tends to think it is, sometimes. But seeing the way you look at each other, I can tell you’re helping him erase the lines between black and white. I don’t want to put any pressure, as I assume nothing is certain yet, but whatever happens between you two, I just want you to know that you have our support.” He looks at Junho, his eyes holding wisdom behind them as he speaks. “Love requires patience, so I hope you can be patient. It’s the first time my son has ever brought someone home, and I’m glad to see it’s you. I think you’re a good man and that’s all that matters.”

Junho breathes out shakily, tears threatening to spill over the edges of his eyelids. In this country and age where people are still so prejudiced against homosexuality, Junho was accepted in such an honest and simple manner. Minjun was so lucky to be born in this family where the support he gets can’t be compared to anything.

Junho smiles and nods, managing to keep his tears from escaping as he wipes his eyes quickly, receiving an encouraging squeeze on his shoulder. He’s in love with this family.

Later, they take a couple of photos in front of the freshly planted dwarf cherry tree—Minjun squeezed between his parents and Junho beside the bodyguard’s mom, hugging her waist as the camera shutter clicks fast to immortalise the precious memory.

Junho doesn’t even want to leave, enjoying Mrs. Kim’s small tour in her garden, but it’s already pretty late and the humidity is getting unbearable even at this hour, thick clouds visible even in the night. A storm is coming.

Minjun’s mom squeezes Junho’s cheeks in her palms before hugging him tightly, thanking him for everything. Junho reciprocates equally warmly and receives a kiss on the cheek from her, making him feel all fuzzy on the inside. It’s like she has already adopted him and Junho couldn’t be happier.

He also hugs Minjun’s father, the latter slapping his back gently a few times, Junho feeling utmost gratitude and respect for the older man.

When they leave the house and enter the car, Junho’s joy starts wearing off, noticing how deep in thought Minjun is. He must be overthinking about what had happened between them, but Junho doesn’t say anything, waiting until they get back home.

It starts raining halfway home, and by the time they’re in Junho’s yard, it’s pouring so hard they have to run inside the house to avoid getting completely drenched.

Junho shuts the door and notices how quick Minjun is with removing his shoes, obviously attempting to avoid the conversation. “Minjun,” Junho calls out and the latter stops, turning around, looking pretty tense. “I think we should talk.”

“I can’t. Not now. I’m a mess,” Minjun says laconically and is about to flee again when Junho catches his hand and holds it lightly. “I have to think, Junho. I cannot give you any answers right now. Please.” 

Junho knits his eyebrows, torn between wanting to give him a piece of his mind and wanting to hold him close. “Alright.” Junho releases Minjun’s hand but doesn’t break the eye contact. “Just let me tell you something. During my therapy, I learned one thing: it’s not good to pile up things inside you. Sometimes it’s easier to let it all out and gain control over what’s bothering you by acknowledging it. Just keep that in mind.” Minjun presses his lips tightly, nods, and walks away.

Junho also makes his way to his bedroom, takes off his clothes, and falls flat on his bed, face down. What a day. 

He’s actually afraid of what’s taking shape in Minjun’s mind. What if he decides to change the contract to something else? Can he even do that? Junho groans in frustration.  


Then, he remembers Mr. Kim’s words.

_Patience. Be patient._

He repeats the mantra inside his mind until he falls asleep, lulled by the sounds of raindrops. Good things come to those who wait, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU GUYS I'VE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT WRITING THIS CHAPTER FOR WEEKS. I FEEL LIKE JUNHO IN THIS FIC LMAO. Finally, I got it out. So, what did you think? *eyebrow wiggle* did you like Minjun's parents? *u*


	16. Emergency

Somewhere in his fading dream, he can hear heavy raindrops but the comforting sound gets interrupted by the ringtone of his phone, forcing him to wake up and answer the call. Reluctantly, he grabs onto air by the bedside table until he finally touches the annoying device and presses it to his ear. He should’ve at least looked at who was the one to disturb his sleep.

“Hello,” he answers huskily.

“Hey, Minjun, were you asleep?” Jackson’s diplomatic tone flows into his ear.

“You better have a good reason to wake me on a Saturday morning. What time is it?” Minjun rubs his eyes lazily.

“Almost 7 am. Unfortunately, I have a very valid reason.” He hears Jackson sigh, and sits up, frowning. Usually chipper, now his business partner appears to be rather tense with this downbeat tone. “Sungjin was stabbed by the client’s crazy ex. The doctors are currently performing surgery on him, so I hope he pulls through it.”

“Fuck. Is that the actress? What’s her name… Jun Jihyun? Her ex?” Minjun leans back against the headboard, faces of his clients surfacing in his mind.

“Yeah. He approached them at the airport; she had an early flight. He stabbed Sungjin in the back multiple times before Dowoon shot him. The ex is dead, and the press is already circling around the hospital where I’m staying with her and the guys. I need your help with all the legal issues and whatnot. His parents are on their way, too. We’re at the Seoul National University Hospital.”

“Shit. Okay. Let me get ready and talk to Junho about this situation first. I should be there in an hour.”

“Alright. See you.” Jackson hangs up and Minjun groans. This is the first time one of his guards gets injured so badly.

He walks to the shower and lets the warm water drizzle down his skin, pouring shower gel and washing himself quickly. He’s still a little sleepy because he had a lot to think about yesterday, and he has no idea when he fell asleep but it was pretty late. Needless to say, he hasn’t come up with a solution for the situation he threw himself and Junho into.

He just had to do what he always does: be nice, be professional, keep his distance. However, his desire took over. Once he got close to Junho and touched his skin, it was over for him. He got swept up by the strong emotion drawing him to the man who’s so alluring Minjun has to expend a lot of effort resisting the urge to just let go and do what he really wants to do: have his lips and hands all over the engineer’s body.

Minjun grabs the towel to dry himself and looks at his reflection in the mirror, noticing a hickey on his neck. “Damn, Junho…” he whispers, touching the small bruise, memories rushing in instantly. How great of a kisser Junho is, how daring his hands are, how completely and utterly he made Minjun forget everything and just bask in the pleasure of the younger man's touch. Junho’s presence pulled him in like a riptide and when Minjun was abruptly pushed back to the surface, he couldn’t understand how the hell he ended up in the position he was in. It’s like Junho’s saliva contains magic or something, making him lose his rationality through their kissing. Almost paranormal.

Once again, Minjun has to pull himself out of these conflicting thoughts, so he hurries towards the closet where he picks out a black suit. Since it’s summer, he often wears just pants and a t-shirt because Junho has expressed that Minjun doesn’t need to look too formal, which is a little more liberating. However, today calls for a very formal outfit with a black tie and all.

He walks across the corridor and notices the door to Junho’s room slightly open; the engineer started leaving it like this not too long ago, for Wolie, in case she wants to exit or enter the room while he’s asleep. Minjun knocks lightly before entering but doesn’t get any reaction, so he lets himself in and takes a few steps closer to the bed, gazing at Junho’s sleeping shape.

The engineer is lying on his stomach, his arms raised a little higher around the edges of his pillow, face to Minjun. He looks so peaceful. The duvet covers only his lower half, the band of his underwear peeking a little. Minjun swallows hard, reminding himself that he didn’t come here to marvel at this gorgeous man. Somehow, it’s even harder to look at him sprawled like this after what happened yesterday. It’s like the dam has been breached and the crack is only getting wider. Suppressing his feelings was never easy, but he managed to do that somehow, mostly just by trying to immerse himself in thoughts about how to do his job properly. After his desires were unleashed, that rigid self-restraint he acquired during military years seems to have become more pliable, like a used cloth.

Junho’s curious eyes, his blinding smile, unpredictable nature, and captivating words he says — the entirety somehow found a way past Minjun’s walls. When he realised he started developing feelings for his client, Minjun knew he was in trouble. However, he thought he was safe, until Junho kissed him. He didn’t think his crush could ever be mutual because up until that point, he had no expectations since his love life was a huge disappointment: never a mutual feeling, from Taecyeon to a couple of hook ups, which only left him with regret because it was purely mechanical, just sex. And unfortunately for Minjun, deep down, he’s the goddamn mushy romantic type who craves a profound connection. Trying to hide and suppress that side of him, avoiding getting hurt again, it’s tough. Being in love is daunting, you have no control over the other party and how they might feel about you. Minjun still has no idea what to do about this situation.

“Junho,” Minjun says softly to wake him up, but the latter just rolls on his back, arms up, exhaling a little heavier, his abdominal muscles contracting steadily as he breathes. Minjun feels borderline attacked by the view, clenching his teeth, staring at Junho’s relaxed body, his skin looking so soft and smooth like… He shakes his head. Fuck, this is getting absurd.

He sits down on the edge of the bed and squeezes Junho’s shoulder, using his mom’s old technique when she wanted to wake him up in the least brutal way possible. “Junho, wake up.” His voice is loud enough to finally work as Junho slowly opens his eyes, scrunching up his eyebrows a little, getting accustomed to the gloomy morning light. Minjun places his hands in his lap.

“You’re all dressed up,” he notes, rubbing his eyes briefly.

“Yeah, something happened. I have to go,” Minjun says, watching Junho sit up and pull the duvet with him up to his chest. His dark hair is dishevelled, making him look unbelievably endearing.

“Something bad?”

“One of our guards was stabbed while protecting a client. He’s in surgery as we speak,” Minjun explains, noticing how Junho’s face clouds, glancing for a moment to the side.

“Is he going to be okay?” the engineer asks, focusing his concerned gaze on the bodyguard’s face.

“I don’t know.” Minjun shrugs. “I have to go to the hospital and help Jackson with legal matters and whatnot. So, I need to arrange my replacement if you have any plans to go out today.”

Junho turns his head and stares at the dreary rainstorm outside. Minjun always found his profile extremely elegant yet strong at the same time. He has never seen a man more handsome than Junho. “The weather is shit. I’m not going anywhere, so don’t bother with the replacement,” Junho says, returning his gaze to Minjun. It has a melancholic ambiance behind it, and Minjun senses it might be related to how they parted yesterday. It fucking crushes him to know he’s at fault for making Junho feel like this, but his mind wasn’t in the right place to talk when Junho wanted to. It’s still isn’t. This is why he didn’t want to overstep the boundaries. Feelings are problematic.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Junho rubs his neck, staring somewhere past Minjun’s shoulder blankly.

“Okay. I should be back in three hours or so. I’m not sure when, exactly.” Minjun stands up and is about to leave when Junho’s voice stops him.

“Minjun,” the bodyguard looks at him, “text me when you’re done, okay?” He looks a little worried, so Minjun squeezes his lips and offers him an encouraging smile.

“Sure.” He nods and makes his way out of the bedroom, feeling heaviness in his chest. He wants to embrace Junho.

 

+

 

Jackson looks relieved upon seeing Minjun in the hospital hallway. The actress is sitting nearby, looking like a ghost; it must’ve been a huge shock. Minjun successfully got through the press blocking the entryway to the building, all the while thinking about how they’ll have to find a back entrance to avoid them. At least she’s not injured, but mental wounds will take time to heal.

Sungjin’s condition seems to be stable after the surgery, which allows Minjun to breathe a little lighter because seeing his parents with eyes puffy from tears is a heart-wrenching view. He remembers Junho and how he was at the morgue. Minjun had to be strong for him at the time, although it was hard to appear calm when the person he cared so much for was in so much distress, completely heartbroken. He knows he shouldn’t have gone out of his way to comfort Junho that night by offering to stay and even hold him in his arms, but he didn’t have the heart to leave him alone, especially because Junho had clearly expressed how much he didn’t want that. He just has that power over Minjun, to sway him opposite to what he’d usually do to maintain his work ethic by not dragging himself into the grey zone of familiarity.

Time at the hospital flies quickly, then they’re back at the headquarters to fill out a bunch of documents, to make some rearrangements and whatnot. It’s only when the rainstorm turns into a full-blown thunderstorm of the century that Minjun notices he’s been with Jackson for over seven hours. Shit.

They wrap up the rest of the matters, and Minjun is quick to turn on his heel to go back to Junho, but Jackson stops him in their office.

“You never tell me how it’s going with Junho. I mean, isn’t it tiring to work 24/7?” Minjun holds onto the door handle, looking at Jackson putting a file case into the drawer.

“Not really. It’s all good.” Minjun shrugs.

“Is it? You look kind of tired.” Jackson sits down. He knows quite a lot about Minjun. The latter didn’t go into detail about Taecyeon, he just told Jackson he was hurt by someone and that he also had some mental issues to deal with after exhausting his mind and body for the military, so him being attentive is only expected. Jackson is also aware Minjun went to therapy during his rehab, maybe that’s why he’s so keen on making sure his business partner is doing fine; they shared their hardships back then after all.

“Well, you kind of woke me early.” Minjun smiles. “I just didn’t sleep very well, that’s all.”

“You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, don’t you?” Jackson leans forward on the table.

“Yeah, nothing to worry about.” He grins a little, trying to reassure the younger man. Jackson is a close friend, but Minjun is going to keep his mouth shut about what’s happening between him and Junho. There are some things he can’t just share, especially when it’s something like this.

“Alright, just wanted to let you know I’m there for you.” Jackson shows his teeth, his expression benign.

“I know. I gotta go, this took longer than expected.” Minjun glances at his watch.

“Yeah, I’m so gonna reward myself with a pizza.” Jackson chuckles and Minjun responds in the same manner.

“See you later. Let me know how Sungjin’s doing.”

“Of course. Bye.” Jackson waves his hand and Minjun leaves, eager to drive back home.

He runs in the rain towards the car and pulls out his phone about to text Junho, noticing a missed call and a text, when someone crashes into him and his phone falls right into the massive puddle he was trying to walk around. The person doesn’t even stop, too preoccupied with avoiding the strong wind and rain, and Minjun curses, fishing his phone out of the water.

Then, he hurries to the car and sits back, wiping his damp face. “Fuck.” He looks at the black screen, completely shattered. Clearly, the water damaged the internal parts as well since the device is completely dead. Minjun groans: he can’t text Junho. He’s probably already pissed off.

There’s trash, tree branches, and leaves flying around, heavy raindrops mixing with hail hitting the SUV and making it hard for Minjun to see anything. He’s forced to drive slowly, and after a while he halts, seeing many cars with red brake lights doing the same ahead. Great, he’s stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of a storm.

He’s patience is wearing thin seeing police, fire engine, and ambulance plough their way through the vehicles, Minjun coming to a conclusion that there’s a car crash causing this roadblock. He fidgets with the broken phone in his hands, feeling terrible being trapped here. He wonders what Junho is doing. Is he still thinking about their steamy encounter? Is he disappointed in Minjun for deflecting him when they returned home? He probably is. Minjun can’t forget his serious expression when he offered his advice. Can Minjun really follow it? Allowing himself to feel what he feels sounds liberating, but it must come with a price… Everything does. It’s so scary. Distancing himself from feelings seems a much safer choice. However, being around Junho and trying to be professional around him is proving to be too complicated. Nonetheless, he cannot let anyone else replace him because he wants to protect Junho and be sure he’s all right.

When Junho came with him to his parents’ house, Minjun saw how nervous he was and yet the engineer still committed. He does so much for Minjun so why can’t Minjun allow himself to just let go? These blocks he puts up within, they just seem too hard to remove. Junho is capable of being more open with him and it affects Minjun. He always felt more comfortable closing himself off in certain situations, but now he feels like he has to break that habit. Junho adapted well to his family, his eyes reflected joy throughout the birthday dinner, making Minjun feel at peace, too. It just felt natural, Junho being there with him, talking to his parents. Maybe that overall laid-back mood lulled Minjun into actually giving in into his desires he’s usually good at pushing away. He was supposed to just take the photo gently, but affected by Junho’s closeness, he forgot what he was supposed to do and instead gave freedom to his lust.

Finally, after two hours, cars start moving and Minjun exhales in relief, passing the fallen tree and a couple of wrecked vehicles moved to the roadside. The thunderstorm seems to be gone but the rain is still pouring hard.

Minjun speeds a little, tires splashing through the wet streets. He checks his watch to see it’s a little past 5 pm. It will take another thirty minutes to reach the house if a meteorite doesn’t hit him.

Suddenly, there’s a sound of dull explosion and the SUV swerves a little, but Minjun reacts quickly, so he manages to straighten it and stop completely, avoiding the oncoming traffic. He jumps out of the car and sees the front tire completely destroyed.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he grunts, feeling the raindrops soak his clothes. He will have to change the tire. It’s like the universe is against him today. Why is it so hard to get back? Minjun isn’t superstitious, but this somehow feels ominous. He takes off the jacket and throws it on the front seat, really tired of all this crap.

Changing the tire in the rain seems to take another eternity, and by the time he’s done, he’s completely drenched. Irritated, he takes off the tie and the button up shirt, hating the feeling of wet clothing sticking to his skin. Well, he can’t take off his pants without being a little inappropriate, so he’ll have to suffer through that until he gets home. If nothing else gets in his way, that is. Half-naked, he starts the engine and drives off.

 

+

 

Thankfully, nothing else interrupts his journey. When the car stops in the yard, it’s almost 7 pm. He’s been out for about 11 hours, leaving Junho in the unknown for much longer than he had initially assumed it would take. Minjun sighs as he grabs the jacket, the shirt, and the tie and walks through the rain, his wet pants feeling very unpleasant.

He finally enters the house and finds Junho in the hallway, standing with his arms folded below his chest, his expression a mix of concern and perturbation. He looks hauntingly beautiful dressed in all black, sweatshirt and pants. “I’m sorry, I was held back so many times until I got home,” Minjun tries to sound placid as he removes his shoes, holding his clothes in one hand. “I had to help Jackson for much longer than I had anticipated, then someone bumped into me and I threw my phone into a puddle, completely destroying it. After that, I was stuck in a traffic jam and later got a flat tire. I had the worst luck today.” Minjun smirks slightly, but Junho’s still idle, his face not saying much even after the explanation.

They stare at each other in silence for a while, and Minjun isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do. Is Junho angry? What’s happening inside his mind? Sometimes he’s easy to read, but when he really wants to, he can hide his emotions well. That’s what’s happening now.

Suddenly, Junho stars walking towards Minjun, and judging by the intensity in his stride, he thinks the engineer is going to punch him or something, but he does the opposite and wraps his arms around Minjun’s bare torso, pressing his forehead against the bodyguard’s collarbone. Minjun swallows, feeling Junho’s breath against his damp skin.

“I was terrified something bad had happened to you,” Junho says quietly. “I had all these tragic scenarios in my head, like, did the Serpent ambush you so they could get to me? Did you get into a horrible car accident? Are you even alive? Your phone was off. I couldn’t reach you. I was so fucking terrified, thinking what if I have another funeral to attend to. I couldn’t stand that thought. I was so relieved when I saw the car rolling in. I was also angry I let myself get carried away by these anxious thoughts. You have a lot on your mind after what happened yesterday, I know that and I don’t want to interfere, but just let me stay like this for a while. Please.” Junho presses closer, placing his cheek on Minjun’s shoulder, Minjun’s heart lurching back and forth violently at Junho’s blunt display of concern and affection.

Minjun opens his palm and lets the clothes fall on the floor. He circles his arms around Junho’s shoulders, burying his nose into Junho’s soft dark hair, the scent of peaches reaching his senses. Both of them tighten their hold around each other and Minjun sighs, closing his eyes.

He cannot do this anymore. He cannot make Junho more miserable than he already is. He’s been through so much traumatising crap, he deserves something nice in his life. Minjun’s heart hurts for him, because he’s also one of the reasons why Junho is in pain and feeling anxious. Minjun is also afraid. He also has past traumas haunting him but making Junho suffer because of it is just wrong. If Junho can be so open to a new relationship even after he was betrayed by Chansung, why can’t Minjun do the same? Minjun has to be better than this; he has to become a better man to make Junho happy, to give him what he really wants and now is the right time to tell him that. It’s time to let go and begin something new, no matter how intimidating that might be because it’s not only just that. There must be something beautiful and rewarding that comes with the relationship package. He just has to be courageous and tear down the walls inside him.

“I’m afraid, you know,” Minjun says. “I don’t know what’s waiting for us… I hate seeing you hurting because of me. I want you to be happy… And if being with me can give you that, then... I’m all yours.” Minjun feels his heartbeat accelerate, waiting for Junho’s response.

The engineer pulls back slightly, his arms still wrapped around Minjun’s waist. His eyes show surprise as he analyses Minjun’s face for a while.

“Do you mean it?” he asks, looking as if he cannot believe what he’s hearing. Minjun nods.

“Yes. I cannot lie to myself anymore, and I certainly cannot lie to you. It’s suffocating us both and I’m the one at fault. My plan was never going to work because at the end of the day, we’re human beings. There’s no code or algorithm we can apply to change how we feel. So, all I can do is accept it and see where it takes us. If you want to, that is.”

“If I want to?” Junho snorts lightly. “That’s all I’ve been dreaming about. You finally opening up to me and letting me in. I have to pinch myself to make sure this is not one of my dreams.”

“It’s real,” Minjun assures him with a closed-mouthed smile.

“I might need a stronger proof, words aren’t enough these days.” Junho leans closer, his gaze hypnotising.

“Get all the evidence you need,” Minjun suggests, drowning in Junho’s eyes as the latter lifts his arm and touches Minjun’s face carefully, fingers stroking his cheek and jaw slowly. It’s just a simple touch but it feels like more than that. Junho’s sweeps his thumb along Minjun’s lower lip at an unhurried pace, building up the anticipation just by staring at the bodyguard’s mouth as if it were a piece of the most exclusive dessert in the world. It gets unbearable when Junho parts his lips and barely brushes them against Minjun’s, teasing him with soft touches, exchanging the hot air between them as the older man tries to catch Junho’s lip but the latter evades it skilfully, grinning a little. “I thought you needed proof,” Minjun says in a husky tone, losing his patience with the imp.

“You avoided me for weeks, I can allow myself the luxury to tease you and take it slow.” Junho whispers into his ear and bites onto the earlobe lightly, instantly sending shivers throughout Minjun’s body. Fuck, he should’ve known Junho wouldn’t be so easy to get, knowing his mischievous tendencies. He’s all about games.

“Touché.” Minjun kisses his neck, moving his hands down Junho’s back. If he remembers correctly, getting a handful of Junho’s ass makes him excited. So, he slips his hands lower and squeezes plump butt cheeks, eliciting a gasp from the imp’s mouth. Bingo.

“I see you acquired some important knowledge yesterday, huh?” Junho cups Minjun’s face in his palms, just a bit of distance separating their faces.

“The hickey on my neck tells me the same,” Minjun grins slightly, feeling not only himself but Junho grow hard as well, no gap between their hips, feeling the younger man grind against him a little.

In all honesty, Minjun isn’t against this borderline tormenting foreplay since, apparently, Junho’s really good at it, and sometimes taking it slow gives more pleasure than just jumping straight into it. In fact, Minjun wants to savour this, so prolonging the sensual experience sounds about right. He wants to devour Junho without haste tonight, and it seems like the latter has the same idea.

Junho holds Minjun’s chin with one hand, the other staying still, and leans in, sticking his tongue out and dragging it upwards right in the middle of the bodyguard’s parted lips. Minjun almost whines at the wet sensation. Then, Junho angles his head and plants a soft kiss on Minjun’s hungry lips, lingering there for a bit, allowing the bodyguard to enjoy the pressure.

Junho parts from his lips soon after, but just a little, sharing the same air and giving Minjun a rather sultry look. Minjun kneads Junho’s ass with more vigour this time, driving their hips into each other. The ardent motion forces a lascivious gasp out of Junho, and he kisses Minjun passionately, both of them wasting no time in using their tongues to heighten the pleasure.

Minjun tilts his head to the other side, gaining more access to Junho’s eager mouth. Kissing him is just something else, like discovering a new planet full of unseen wonders. The need to explore is immeasurable, every little thing stimulates Minjun to discover more. He hugs Junho’s waist tighter, enjoying their languid kiss so much that when they break apart for air, he feels like something precious has been taken away from him. Junho looks equally turned on, his eyes half-lidded, lips glistening.

“We need to go to my room,” Junho states, slightly bewildered. “I can’t believe I spent my entire life without experiencing something so intoxicating. And we’re just kissing.”

Minjun chuckles and nuzzles his nose against Junho’s temple, knowing the feeling all too well. “Just wait till we do more...”

“Let’s stop postponing it then,” Junho plants a kiss on Minjun’s neck, making him shiver. That man surely uses the recently discovered knowledge to his advantage.

“Let me take off my pants, they’re so damp it’s bothering me too much.” Minjun takes a step back and notices Junho ogle at him shamelessly, wearing a lewd tight-lipped grin. “Like what you see?”

“Don’t ask questions you know the answers to,” Junho snorts as Minjun picks up his clothes and places them on the shoe bench; he’ll get those later. “Come,” Junho offers his hand and Minjun takes it, intertwining their fingers.

They walk upstairs, and as soon as Junho closes the door, he pushes Minjun against it, lifting their arms and rewarding the bodyguard with another deep kiss, gripping onto Minjun’s hands tighter above his head. Junho being so passionate is what Minjun had expected because his nature is impulsive, but he didn’t know Junho could also touch him in such a gentle way at the same time as he does now, sliding his hands down Minjun’s arms and chest towards his lower half. Junho is like a mix of hot and cold: sometimes one feature dominates the other, but he always finds the right balance at the right time. The kiss turns a little softer when Junho’s hand slips past the waistband of Minjun’s boxer briefs and strokes his erection, extracting a moan from Minjun.

“That moan should be my ringtone,” Junho says and Minjun laughs, slapping the younger man’s shoulder.

“People get tired of their ringtones, eventually.”

“We can record a new one when it gets repetitive.” Junho grins, kissing Minjun’s neck and removing his hand from his lover’s private parts. “I have a question.” Junho’s face turns serious as he circles his arms around Minjun’s neck.

“Yeah?” Minjun arches his eyebrow, latching his hands onto Junho’s hips.

“Do you prefer being a bottom or a top?”

“I don’t care. I like both.”

“Ah, I like a versatile man. I’m the same.” They smile at each other. “You know, I had these dreams… about you fucking me. I want that now.”

“Just fucking? What about making love?” Junho’s eyebrow rises a little, seemingly pleasantly surprised at Minjun’s wording.

“You’re a romantic,” he concludes, to which Minjun answers with a light chuckle. Rabbit’s out of the hat, although not fully. It will take time to open up completely. One step at a time.

“I’ll give you both, though, making love and fucking. I like balance.”

“I like that idea, let’s mix it up,” Junho pecks his cheek and moves to his lips for another languid kiss.

Minjun starts pushing him backwards towards the bed, still enjoying the kiss, until they bump into the bedframe and he pulls back. “Your clothes are in the way.”

Junho lifts his arms and grins playfully. “Undress me.” Minjun does so, throwing Junho’s sweatshirt on the floor. The bodyguard slides Junho’s pants down, letting them fall to the younger man’s ankles and the latter steps out of them, his eyes travelling down Minjun’s torso to the tent in his groin. Junho licks his lips, glancing at Minjun’s eyes with lust, making his arousal harden even more. Junho is so effortlessly sensual; his eyes and body just radiate that sexual energy without him even trying. If Minjun didn’t know better, he’d think Junho’s a goddamn incubus sent to destroy him.

Suddenly, Junho takes a step forward and slides his palms down Minjun’s chest and abdomen until he’s on his knees, rubbing Minjun’s throbbing dick through the material of his underwear. This is getting unbearable; all the teasing and now this, a wordless promise from Junho to pleasure him with his mouth. Minjun would jack off just imaging those luscious lips around his cock more than he’d like to admit. That’s what kept him at bay; masturbating religiously to let out all of his sexual tension. However, his desire to feel the real thing was starting to overtake everything and eventually his hand wasn’t enough. Living together with Junho was a challenge he had no chance of winning. All the times when he’d encounter Junho wearing just his shorts, or seeing him lift his shirt unconsciously to wipe his face, and even dressed fully but looking no less alluring with that beautiful and expressive face. It was just too much to maintain his perfect self-restraint: it was bound to be broken. He just couldn’t admit it to himself and threw himself into the pit of denial.

Finally, he can let it all out with this man he first thought he had no chance with simply because he was clearly hating Minjun at first, being hostile towards him. And now, he’s pulling Minjun’s underwear down his legs and stares at his hard cock with a starving look, his tongue darting at the corner of his lips as he glances up at Minjun with the most seductive smile ever. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this.”

“I think I do,” Minjun replies and watches Junho take his shaft into his hand and give one short lick to the fat head, the movement powerful enough to make Minjun recline his head back. Soon, his aching dick is engulfed in moist warmth, immediately making him release an airy moan. He looks down and watches Junho stroke him while bobbing his head forward and back, at the same time fondling his balls with the other hand. Minjun cannot keep himself from slipping his hand into Junho’s hair, making the latter look up at him. The tiniest smirk decorates the corner of Junho’s mouth as he stops sucking him off and licks the underside of Minjun’s erection, staring right into his eyes. “If you keep on being so damn seductive I’m going to come faster than I’d like to. No proper love making, no fucking.” Junho chuckles, pulling away.

“Okay, take the lead, then. I’m all yours.” Junho stands up and removes his underwear, seemingly satisfied with how intensely Minjun stares at his hardened cock.

Minjun pushes him and watches Junho lie down on his back, spreading his legs while giving his own erection a long hard rub. Minjun doesn’t remember if he’s ever been more turned on in his life than he is now. His dick is as solid as a rock, craving to find a hot and tight place.

Minjun crawls between Junho’s legs until he’s face to face with his lover. “Hey, when did you start develop feelings for me?” Junho asks suddenly, hugging Minjun’s neck and making the latter press against his body entirely, leaning on his forearms right beside Junho’s shoulders.

“Story time, huh? Let’s begin from day one.” Minjun chuckles and leans down placing butterfly kisses all over Junho’s face as he speaks. “You’re gorgeous, it’s impossible not to notice that. However, your attitude was the worst. Such an insolent brat. Totally off-putting.” He looks at Junho and grins a little, seeing a slightly judgemental frown on the engineer’s face. “When you showed me Alectrona, I realised it was just a mask you’re putting in front of me. When you spoke about the robot, I got a glimpse of an unseen side of you and it made me think. So, I started analysing your behaviour more closely and noticed the way you treated other people was completely different; you were nice to them. Your problem was just with me. I wanted to change that because I wanted to have a better relationship with my client since we were stuck together for an indefinite amount of time. I wanted to gain your trust. I guess that’s when I dug my own grave.” Minjun snorts, looking at Junho’s amused expression.

“Your idiotic pool prank got to me. I was tired of you acting the way you did around me because I’ve already put so much effort into having a tolerable mood between us. Being snarky worked, but I wanted you to be real with me, no hostility, just decent, friendly client-bodyguard relationship. When the assault happened, I realised it was more than just a job to me, I wanted more than friendship.”

“Damn, that’s when I realised I was falling for you, too,” Junho admits, both of them rather astonished at the revelation.

“You’re lying.”

“I swear I’m not,” Junho laughs, slapping Minjun’s arm. Then, the engineer’s gaze turns heartfelt, like he’s trying to enter Minjun’s soul, hands caressing the older man’s back gently. “I never thought I could feel like this; to crave someone so much that the idea to find my way to you would haunt me on a constant loop. It’s the first time I’m saying this combination of words out loud… I love you.” Minjun feels shaken while the oddly pleasant sensation blooms in his chest. Junho knits his eyebrows, throwing a hook on him and reeling him in just with the soft and loving ambiance behind his eyes. He kisses Junho, massaging his tongue with his own, trying to convey the feeling that’s spreading within him because he feels like it’s better to show than just say something. He never found it easy talking about love or his feelings in general, but Junho somehow manages to make him talk. Or do things when words simply cannot escape him.

“Who’s the romantic now?” Minjun whispers into the kiss, hoping Junho can understand how overwhelmed he is at the moment and that he can’t really reply properly, let alone say the words confessing his own feelings. This wall will have to fall at some point, but it seems like Junho understands him, smiling into the kiss, beckoning him closer.

Minjun grinds into Junho’s hips, drawing a sensual moan out of him, repeating the action over and over in a slow pace, enjoying the stimulating noises coming from his lover’s throat. Then, he trails a series of wet kisses down Junho’s upper body all the way to his thighs and kisses the soft flesh of his inner thigh, taking Junho’s erection into his palm and giving it a couple of strokes, eliciting more pleasant sounds from the latter.

He takes Junho into his mouth, sucking and licking him with all the experience he’s gained over the years. Minjun knows he’s great at this, his previous sex partners have always praised his skilful tongue, so he uses all that knowledge on Junho, making him curl his toes and moan indecently loudly, swallowing him just with the right pressure, moving up and down at different paces.

“Stop. I’m gonna come,” Junho breathes out, holding onto Minjun’s hair a little too forcefully.

Minjun obliges, crawling back upwards, not missing Junho’s nipple with his tongue, feeling Junho’s fingers dig deeper into his shoulders. Seeing him so engulfed in whatever Minjun does to him is more than rewarding; it’s a whole new experience because it isn’t just mechanical, it’s not just sex. Minjun’s doing everything to show how much he loves him, how much he wants Junho to feel pleasure, and it’s working. Junho’s flushed face reveals it all, the lewd sounds he emits add to it, too.

“Do you have lube and condoms?” Minjun asks, kissing his temple.

“Nightstand drawer,” Junho says laconically and Minjun crawls towards the drawer, opening it and grabbing the things he asked for. Then, he returns to his previous position between Junho’s legs. “I’m clean, just so you know. I always use condoms with others,” Junho says.

“Me too. I trust you, it’s just less messy.”

“Neat freak,” Junho teases, biting on his lower lip while watching Minjun put a condom on.

“It’s just a habit.” He finds it important to let Junho know he’s using protection not because he thinks Junho’s full of STDs or anything of that sort. Minjun bends down and pecks Junho’s lips quickly, staying close when he pulls away a little. “You can fuck me without a condom, though,” he whispers with a slight grin, Junho returning it back.

“I will,” Junho promises with a soft kiss before Minjun sits back on his heels and pours lube over his fingers, thinking it’s amazing how Junho doesn’t bug him about his choices; he’s just simply accepting whatever quirks Minjun has. For an impulsive person, Junho can be very patient now that he thinks about it.

Minjun slides his finger around Junho’s puckered hole, coating it with lube and watching his lover’s face attentively when he pushes one finger inside with a little resistance. Junho grunts briefly, closing his eyes. “If anything’s wrong, tell me,” Minjun says, leaning down and kissing Junho’s neck softly, massaging his ring muscle carefully.

“It’s okay, it’s just been a while,” Junho admits, adjusting his hips and spreading his legs wider.

Junho touches Minjun’s hair and presses his cheek to the bodyguard’s, breathing heavily into the older man’s ear. Minjun’s exploding internally at how arousing that feels and sometime later adds the second finger to scissor Junho wider, making sure he’s comfortable enough before he can actually replace his fingers with his throbbing erection.

Junho finds Minjun’s lips, moaning into the lust-filled kiss wantonly, starting to move against Minjun’s digits inside him as if encouraging to add more, so the bodyguard adds the third one and pushes a little deeper, trying to find that sweet spot he knows gives the most pleasure. After a few attempts he changes the angle and Junho almost shouts, gasping loudly, grasping Minjun’s hair a little rougher.

“Fuck, just put your cock in me already,” Junho breathes out with Minjun’s eyes boring into his from above. He’s not going to disobey that order.

Minjun sits back and coats his own shaft with lube, feeling Junho’s intense gaze on him. He looks so fucking beautiful, full of desire and love, breathing heavily in anticipation, Minjun wants to give him his soul.

Minjun teases Junho’s rectum a little, sliding the thick head of his cock up and down deliberately, Junho’s eyes begging before him. “God, Minjun, just do it.”

He positions his dick right in front of Junho’s entrance and starts pushing it in carefully, releasing a moan himself as Junho feels so hot and tight around him, squeezing mercilessly. “Fuck,” he breathes out and looks down at Junho, biting on the back of his hand, eyes closed. “Does it hurt? Should I stop?”

“Fuck no, I’m just…” Junho gulps as he opens his eyes. “I’m overwhelmed. Move, please. I need to adjust to the feeling.”

Minjun starts pushing in and out slowly, latching his lips onto Junho’s to give him more pleasure. Junho starts pushing back, both of them gaining steady rhythm and Minjun has to breathe harder to get more oxygen so he wouldn’t pass out at how good it feels to be inside Junho and see him react in such an erotic way, his arms all over Minjun’s upper body, tongues entangled in a slippery mess.

Junho’s hands get more daring, sliding down and fondling Minjun’s butt, forcing him move with more power. “We need to switch positions. I need you to fuck me. I’m getting close,” Junho says, his eyes clouded with desire. Minjun would love to record this moment, he’s so damn alluring.

“Okay,” Minjun stops his movement and pulls out, making Junho whine at the loss. Then, Junho rolls over and is an all fours, spreading his legs wider to give Minjun better access, looking over his shoulder, making Minjun swallow at how indecently erotic the view before him is.

“Come on, fuck me,” Junho pleads and Minjun slams his cock inside him without a warning, making Junho shout in pleasure as his arms give in and he collapses, burying his face into the sheets, lifting his ass higher.

Minjun pounds into him with a huge force, obscene sounds filling the room, his balls slapping against Junho’s skin, the latter moaning loudly as his prostate is being stimulated nonstop. Minjun’s grip on Junho’s hips gets rougher, seeing how his lover places his cheek on one side and slips his own hand between his legs, stroking himself erratically, his lips parted and wet. Minjun almost loses his mind when Junho comes and yells out his name, tainting the sheets with his semen and squeezing Minjun’s hard cock in the process, his ring muscles contracting around him, and seconds later Minjun reaches orgasm, too, riding it out inside Junho.

Minjun pulls out and collapses on top of Junho, catching his breath. “Fuck, we could have done this weeks ago. I’m an idiot.” Junho laughs below him and Minjun kisses the mole on the back of his neck, remembering all the times he walked behind Junho looking at the dark spot and thinking how it’d feel to place his lips there. It feels amazing, of course.

Minjun rolls over and removes the condom, throwing it into the bin by the bed. Good thing his aim is wonderful. He crawls back to Junho who’s lying on his back now and hugs his waist, pressing his forehead to the younger man’s jaw, plating soft smooches on his neck. “You’re not going to change your mind about this, are you? Being with me,” Junho says, drawing invisible shapes on Minjun’s shoulders and back.

“No, it’s impossible after learning what if feels like to be with you.” Minjun frowns a little, a disturbing thought creeping in his mind, so he moves up, leaning on his forearms to look at Junho’s face. “We have to keep this a secret. If the Serpent gets a whiff of something intimate happening between us, I’m afraid they might use that against you. We can’t let anyone know about our relationship. Only you and me.” A crease of concern appears between Junho’s eyebrows.

“Fuck, I didn’t think about it this way…” Junho sighs, rubbing his face, then nods. “In that case, it’s our little secret. But what about your parents?”

“What about them?” Minjun is slightly puzzled as a playful glint appears in Junho’s eyes.

“Your dad kind of gave us his and your mom’s blessing.” Junho chuckles at Minjun’s sceptical expression. Minjun squints and sits up.

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

“You really don’t know?” Junho sits up as well, looking pretty amused.

“Don’t know what?”

Junho laughs but quickly settles down, taking Minjun’s hands in his. “When you were planting the tree with your mom, I was helping your dad in the kitchen. He told me some things about you… I’ll keep them to myself, though,” Minjun rolls his eyes. “The bottom line is, they know something’s happening between us, so he expressed their support. They want you to be happy and they approve of our relationship.”

Minjun looks away, trying to remember how much information he had spilled to his parents. He didn’t really say much, he only had said that he confessed to Junho about his traumatising past. Was that enough of a hint? It probably was. He underestimated his parents. Bringing Junho was probably a huge hint for them, only proving their assumptions. His parents understand him more then they let on. Minjun snorts and stares at Junho. “Well, let’s just keep it at that. They’ll figure it out anyway, I suppose. Dad’s smart, he knows being open about our relationship would be dangerous, keeping in mind who we’re dealing with. They will keep it to themselves, I’m sure.”

“It was nice meeting them, you know… Your family is lovely.” Junho smiles softly. “At least you got to know my dad, even if just as a client. It’s just a little upsetting you’ll never get to meet my mom.” Minjun leans in and kisses him in a comforting way, but then Junho breaks the kiss unexpectedly. “Actually, I have something to show you.” Junho jumps out of the bed and slips into his underwear, throwing Minjun’s boxer briefs back at him. “Come on.”

Minjun’s slightly perplexed but he puts his underwear on and takes Junho’s hand the latter extended to him. Junho takes him to the office and they walk around the unpacked boxes they had brought from his dad’s house. Junho drags the chair backwards and pushes Minjun onto the seat, himself taking a place in the bodyguard’s lap sitting sideways, facing the computer.

Intrigued with what Junho has to show, he watches Junho go through digital folders while planting a couple of kisses on his bare shoulder. Junho exhales, clicking on a video titled _Mom_ and Minjun focuses on the screen, hugging Junho’s waist tighter as a melancholic expression appears on his face.

It’s a video of Junho’s parents. His pregnant mom appears to be radiant, talking to Junho’s dad about their soon to be born child, Junho. Minjun recognises some of Junho’s expressions in her, their smiles are identical. It’s surreal to see her and know they will never meet each other, although she looks so lively in the video, ecstatic about her son. It’s such a bittersweet footage. Junho has knowledge of what his life could have been, yet he has never had the chance to experience it. How many times has he watched that video? Judging by his solemn gaze, too many.

“There, you met her,” Junho says, smiling pensively, staring at the frozen frame.

“Thank you for sharing this with me.” Minjun pulls Junho by the thighs closer, making the engineer face him more. Junho hugs his neck.

“Every time I watch this video, I can’t help but think, _‘Wow, they loved each other so much. I wish I could have this one day,’_ and I think it’s possible now. I can’t speak for you, but I know I see my future with you in it.” Minjun squeezes Junho’s thigh harder, lifting his arm to touch the engineer’s cheek, brushing his thumb against the warm skin tenderly.

“I want to be a part of your future.” His words make Junho lean in and kiss him with such conviction Minjun’s sure that line gave the so much needed reassurance Junho’s probably been craving quietly.

With Junho on his lap kissing him so wantonly, Minjun loses himself once again, feeling nothing but pure joy for finally letting Junho into his world. It’s not daunting anymore, it’s strangely exhilarating, and all Minjun really wants now is to drag the Serpent leader into the daylight and put him or her behind the bars so he and Junho could finally be free. In the meantime, they will have to hide in the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how are you feeling? lol. I TOLD YOU THE WAIT WOULD BE WORTH IT!!! Also, please, if you're a silent reader, leave me a comment because that's what keeps me going, it motivates me to write more and I'd like to receive something back because I pour so much into this fanfic :') let me know your thoughts, don't be quiet.


	17. Going Deeper

There’s light pressure against his chest and collarbone accompanied by a sensation of someone breathing into his left shoulder. Junho’s eyelids flutter open and he lifts his free arm to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Once there’s clarity in his mind, he glances at his chest where Minjun’s left arm is comfortably placed on top, his fingers relaxed near Junho’s neck. He turns his head left and sees a peaceful face; his bodyguard is lying on his stomach, deep in sleep as his slow breathing indicates.

Damn, it really happened. Junho gulps, pleasant tingling spreading underneath his sternum, watching his lover’s serene expression. They’re finally in the clear regarding their relationship, they had sex, he showed Minjun the video, and later they just went to sleep because Minjun felt very tired after a long day of exhausting events. Sex was also quite a workout, Junho grins a little. It seems like Minjun’s still recovering from everything he experienced yesterday because he doesn’t wake up when Junho leans in and places a soft kiss on his forehead.

He gazes at the bodyguard’s face for a bit until he decides it’s time to get up, take a shower, and cook something for both of them. Did Minjun even eat anything yesterday at all? Junho guesses he might have eaten snacks only.

Carefully, he lifts the sleeping man’s arm and slips out of the bed, placing his arm on the sheets. Minjun sighs in his sleep and rolls on his left side towards the wall, so Junho makes his way to the bathroom.

He showers while allowing fresh memories to run through his head; Junho had no idea everything would end up the way it did with Minjun finally giving in. Waiting for him was so mentally excruciating. He didn’t want to look like an overly concerned idiot, but when he couldn’t reach Minjun over the phone, he started panicking slightly. Junho tried to calm himself, staring through the window as the rain washed over everything in the yard, but the closer evening got, the worse his anxiety. He was ready to call Jackson right when the long-awaited SUV finally showed up.

Junho felt like such a dumbass for allowing himself to come up with all these tragic scenarios, but when he watched Minjun enter the house, half-naked and drenched, he couldn’t hold back his emotions anymore; he just had to hold him close to make sure he was fine, even if it was against their deal. His love for the man grows not by days, but by minutes. Is there a limit?

He didn’t expect Minjun to hug him back; he was content with only having his arms around the bodyguard. How surprised he was when Minjun squeezed him in a tight embrace, and the words that followed later. Junho could barely register what Minjun was saying because it felt so surreal.

Things that followed, lovemaking, fucking… Junho had thought sex up until then was good, but after that intimate experience with Minjun, it felt divine. How different it can be when you’re with someone you genuinely love, and on top of that, that someone is also very skilled in pleasuring his partner. Minjun handled him with such care, but also gave him the so much needed raw thrill, fucking him like a beast, making Junho come with fireworks under his eyelids accompanied by blissful tremors down below.

When he showed the video to Minjun, Junho somehow felt relieved, like sharing that footage made him get rid of some weight off his shoulders. Cuddling after that was simply sweet, and Junho fell asleep with Minjun spooning him, nose pressed to the back of the engineer’s neck. Needless to say, sleep was perfect. Weeks of waiting have finally paid off.

Junho dries himself with a towel, also remembering Minjun’s clueless face when Junho told him about his parents. He really had no idea so much was happening out of his sight. The engineer mulls over the fact they’ll have to keep this relationship secret because there’s so much at stake. Not only Junho but also Minjun could become a target if the Serpent learns about their romantic feelings towards each other. Good thing no one knows.

Junho freezes, holding the towel against his chest. “Fuck,” he whispers.

Kwon knows. He told Kwon some things about them because it fuelled his anxiety. Shit, Junho will have to tell Minjun about this and see what he thinks. Junho can only hope Minjun won’t be too mad. He should understand, right? Junho exhales heavily and walks to the closet to pick an outfit.

He chooses light blue shorts and a white t-shirt with the evil robot illustration. Junho glances at Minjun who’s now lying on his back, still asleep. He would love to pounce on him and wake him, but his wicked selfishness fades away thinking about how his bodyguard needs proper rest because he deserves it.

Junho finds Wolie in the kitchen and scoops her into his arms, awarding her with kisses. She accepts them, probably really hungry since neither Junho nor Minjun woke up early to feed her.

“Thanks for not interrupting us,” Junho chuckles, putting her down and grabbing a can of cat food. “But you’ll probably get to see some things from now on you’d love to ignore.” He squats and fills the little bowl with a light brown solidified concoction. Wolie meows softly and digs in, letting Junho pet her while she devours her breakfast.

Junho washes his hands and scans through the shelves, looking for human breakfast inspiration. “Hmm…” He hums to himself and decides to go with waffles topped with whipped cream and berries. That should do. Sweet and easy.

He turns the radio on so it isn’t too quiet because he prefers cooking with background noise. The music is okay, sounds like indie pop and it fits the mood perfectly, creating a somewhat warm nostalgic feeling.

Once the batter is done, Junho finds the waffle maker and plugs it in, his own stomach rumbling. He pours the mix into the thing and puts the lid down, then goes for the whipped cream and berries in the refrigerator. He sets those on the counter in the middle of the kitchen, the smell of waffles spreading throughout the house.

Junho finishes the first batch and pours the second portion into the maker. He’s salivating at the smell, but he won’t eat until the rest of the batter is gone. While waiting, he grabs Wolie and dances with her in his arms, the latter not sharing his enthusiasm. “Should I find you a husband?” The two bright eyes stare at him, unamused, and Junho snorts. “Okay, you’re an independent cat.” He lets her go and keeps on pouring the remaining thick liquid a couple more times, finally scooping the last bits out with a spoon and almost dropping everything when a pair of arms hug his waist from behind. “Fuck!” Junho’s heartbeat accelerates for many reasons. First, he was startled; second, it’s Minjun hugging him; third, he’s obviously grinning with his lips pressed against Junho’s neck. He was totally planning on using his stealth against an unsuspecting Junho.

“Next time you do this, I’m going to shove your face into that same waffle maker,” Junho hisses putting the tools on the counter and closing the lid. He turns around in Minjun’s embrace just to find him wearing a smug half-smile.

“That sounds lovely. Didn’t know you were into _that_ stuff.” Minjun teases and leans in but Junho huffs and grips the bodyguard’s chin, tilting his own head a little.

“Aren’t you a fucking smartass,” Junho snakes his free arm around Minjun neck, still stopping the latter’s chin from moving forward. Minjun smells fresh, his hair is damp and he’s wearing only grey sweatpants. “I think you forgot a t-shirt.”

“Did I?” Minjun licks his own lips, making Junho’s breath hitch. “You left me alone. Imagine how uncool it is to wake up in an empty bed after having sex for the first time.”

“Oh, is this a punishment? Your stealthy approach.” Junho leans closer, his eyes jumping from Minjun’s dark orbs to his lips. “You should’ve come in naked, why bother with the pants?”

“I’m starving. I have some decency to eat at least with my pants on. The smell lured me in.” Minjun chuckles and moves to the side to peek over the engineer’s shoulder at the plate with waffles, ignoring Junho’s playful frown. “Ah, that’s the source,” Minjun is about to lean over and grab a waffle, but Junho turns them around quickly and presses Minjun against the edge of the counter, wasting no time in devouring the bodyguard’s lips and tongue.

Minjun’s fingers immediately slip into Junho’s hair, crushing their lips harder, while Junho’s hands take the liberty to feel Minjun’s back muscles. It’s really easy to ignore what’s happening around them but Junho’s sense of smell has never failed him, and when the smell of something burning invades his nostrils, Junho pulls back quickly and looks to the side where the waffle maker is. He could swear the kiss didn’t take that long but maybe the perception of time is different when he’s in Minjun’s arms.

“Fuck.” He breaks away from his lover’s embrace and opens the lid immediately, waving his hand when a small amount of smoke escapes. He unplugs the cord and stares at the waffle briefly; it doesn’t look too bad, just a couple of darker spots. “This is your fault.” He glances at Minjun who’s about to snatch a waffle he was going for earlier, but Junho swats his hand away and barks out an order, “Sit.” Minjun chuckles and moves over to the tall table in the middle of the kitchen and sits on a stool, staring at Junho bringing the plate with the waffles and setting it on the counter. Then, Junho stacks the waffles equally on each plate, and generously decorates the top with whipped cream and berries. Minjun looks at him, amused.

“What a perfectionist.”

“Say something I don’t know,” Junho shoots back, sitting down beside Minjun.

“You like to suck your thumb when you’re asleep.”

“Now that’s a load of bullshit.”

“Yeah, it is,” Minjun laughs quietly, admitting his silly lie. “I’m going to dig in, can’t wait any longer.” Junho snorts and watches Minjun take the first bite, his face revealing satisfaction.

“How is it?”

Minjun gives him a thumbs up and continues to devour his breakfast, Junho joining him, feeling the hunger consume his mind as well. The music from the radio is cheerful — a girl singing something about confidence and, boy does Junho need it, because his stomach twists a little at the thought of telling Minjun about Kwon.

He stuffs his mouth with food, noticing Minjun’s almost done with his plate, and the engineer swallows, thinking there’s no point in delaying this any longer. “Hey, I have something to tell you.”

Minjun arches his eyebrow and turns towards him. “Yeah?”

Junho squeezes his lips briefly, noticing a shift in Minjun’s gaze: from nonchalant to wary. Junho must look more serious than he thinks he does. “So, about keeping it… this relationship a secret. Um, so, I might have told Kwon about some things regarding us…” Minjun’s face doesn’t change much, he just looks slightly troubled as he sighs. “I’m sorry,” Junho adds, biting on his lower lip.

“Sorry?” Minjun snorts. “To be honest, I can’t blame you. I was kind of expecting it even. I mean, I had a feeling my request may have had a negative impact on you. I had a hunch it might have contributed to your anxiety to some extent, not to sound like I know it all or anything because I’m just assuming. I should be the one to say _‘sorry’_ in this case. Kwon’s your therapist, you have to be open with him. I wouldn’t have suggested you go to him if I didn’t trust him.” Minjun shrugs.

“You trust him?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I asked our people to check Kwon’s and Anna’s backgrounds when I found you that morning in the bed; I had to make sure people you’re sleeping with are not dangerous.”

“You really did that?” Junho isn’t sure how to feel about this. How many people has Minjun checked for the sake of Junho’s well-being?

“Of course, I’m your bodyguard. I have to think ahead. I have to do background checks for people you come into contact with. Especially when we’re dealing with something as cunning as the Serpent. Not to sound like a weirdo, but I have to know everything about you and the people close to you. It’s just a part of my job.”

“Under any other circumstances I’d be pissed, but I’ll let you off this time.” Junho takes a bite of the remaining waffle. He shouldn’t be surprised, really. He never asked to what extent this protection goes, and he could’ve guessed that this background check exists; it’s all for his sake, he gets that. Hearing this before the Singapore assault probably would have resulted in Junho going berserk, but now he sees why it’s necessary. You never know when the Serpent will strike and who they will use for that.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Minjun says, finishing his meal, and Junho snorts a little. “Thanks, that was delicious.”

“You’re making breakfast tomorrow.” Junho points his fork at Minjun.

“Fine.” Minjun holds onto Junho’s stool and turns it towards him, sliding his hands up Junho’s knees, his fingers slipping under the engineer’s shorts, making the latter smile suggestively. “I need a favour.” Minjun places soft smooches down Junho’s jaw, the younger man circling his arms loosely around the bodyguard’s neck, enjoying the pleasant pressure of Minjun’s lips against his cheek, moving closer to his mouth.

“Mm? Asking favours using your body… That’s illegal.”

“You’re going to report me?” Minjun chuckles against Junho’s neck, nuzzling the skin there with his nose.

“Only if you don’t kiss me.”

Minjun obliges, brushing his lips against Junho’s briefly, holding onto the warm thighs beneath the engineer’s shorts a little tighter. When he finally places his lips against Junho’s, the kiss is languid and wet. Every particle of skin Minjun touches burns in the best way possible, his hands dangerously close to Junho’s groin. Shit, he’s already getting hard, Minjun’s mouth is so arousing against his, Junho can’t help but release a tender moan into the kiss, hugging his neck closer.

Suddenly, Minjun pulls back and uses his arm to push the plates aside without breaking eye contact with Junho; it’s obvious Junho’s not the only one feeling carnal desire as Minjun positions himself between Junho’s legs and grabs onto his butt, lifting him in the air and settling him down on top of the counter.

Junho feels himself getting harder, witnessing Minjun’s eyes filled with lust as he unbuttons and unzips Junho’s shorts, quickly pulling them and the underwear down, with Junho’s assistance. Junho can feel Minjun’s desperation through the hasty movements, but he’s just the same, gripping onto the older man’s chin and giving him another deep kiss; feeling Minjun’s hand close around his hardening cock, the engineer traps Minjun’s torso between his bare legs.

However, Minjun abandons his lips and bends lower, unceremoniously swallowing Junho’s cock. “Ah!” Junho yells out, feeling Minjun’s throat squeeze him and, surprisingly enough, Minjun doesn’t gag and continues torturing Junho with that hot moisture and pressure against the tip of his swollen dick, swallowing him deeper.

Junho falls on his back, knocking down the whipped cream can with his arm, breathing heavily, as Minjun starts licking and sucking him greedily, making the engineer gasp for air at how fucking great his cock feels. Unconsciously, Junho spreads his legs wider and dares to rise on his forearms, watching his erection disappear into his lover’s mouth. “Fuck, Minjun, you’re too good at this.” Junho almost chokes at the satisfied grin Minjun gives him, his tongue teasing the fat tip, already leaking a little.

“Yeah? I’ve got something else for you.” Minjun releases Junho’s hard shaft covered with a considerable amount of saliva and straightens his back, spitting some more into his palms.

Junho licks his lips impatiently, but Minjun wastes no time, placing one hand at the tip of Junho’s cock and the other at the base. He starts stroking the base and massaging the tip with such intensity Junho once again falls back on the cold surface increasingly heated by his own body warmth. He almost cries out at how Minjun picks up his speed with this unbelievable handjob; Junho arches his back, pressing his legs tighter around Minjun’s waist, feeling like he’s about to be blown into space by his lover’s skilful hands.

The sounds in the kitchen are beyond obscene, Junho’s cries mixing with slippery motions, and soon enough, not being able to endure the vigorous movements and pressure against his erection anymore, he explodes all over his stomach and chest, ruining his shirt. Minjun milks him to the last drop and Junho can only heave, hardly believing someone could actually be this superior at a handjob. It’s like his hands were crafted by God himself. Or the devil. He’s not sure. Somehow he feels like no other handjob will ever compare to this, not that Junho needs someone else’s hands when he has Minjun by his side.

He senses Minjun clean him with a paper towel and Junho sits up, still slightly dizzy from the pleasure. “What the fuck was that? You almost teleported my dick into another dimension.”

Minjun laughs lightly. “Glad you enjoyed it.”

“My turn.” Junho jumps down and pushes Minjun towards the dishwasher.

“You don’t have to…” Minjun says with a soft expression, but Junho just grins, cupping Minjun’s cock through the sweatpants.

“Shut up.” Junho sinks to his knees and takes off his shirt, throwing it over his shoulder; it’s ruined anyway, he might as well be completely naked to give more visual stimulation for his lover. It seems to work because when he looks up, Minjun’s biting on his lower lip, giving him the ultimate bedroom eyes. So, Junho kisses the soft cotton, separating him from the bodyguard’s flesh.

From the corner of his eye he notices Minjun grab onto the edge of the counter harder and Junho pulls his sweatpants and underwear down to his ankles. Minjun’s cock isn’t fully hard, but Junho’s about to change that.

He strokes Minjun’s dick slowly and licks the underside until he reaches his balls and swallows them without warning, massaging the sensitive body part with his tongue. Minjun’s knuckles are white, his breathing heavy, and Junho finds his eyes looking down at him, clouded with desire.

It’s extremely rewarding to see him so turned on because Junho knows he’s the reason Minjun starts sinking his fingers deeper into Junho’s hair, asking for more. So, Junho abandons the older man’s balls and starts sucking his cock instead while stroking the base, increasing his speed. Furthermore, Junho adds low humming to it, sending vibrations down Minjun’s hard shaft, making him moan a little louder. Junho’s satisfied to hear more sounds from Minjun because he’s not too vocal when it comes to sex and Junho enjoys hearing him react, so he’d do anything to make him express his feelings more aloud.

Junho holds onto Minjun’s hips and looks up at him, urging the older man to fuck his mouth. He sees Minjun swallow before he starts moving and Junho stays still, allowing Minjun to go faster. But even then Minjun is still considerate enough to not completely go wild, so he slows down a little and Junho can sense he’s close to reaching his orgasm.

Junho pushes Minjun hips back against the counter and keeps him still, releasing the swollen cock out of his mouth with a loud pop. Minjun gives him a pleading glance and Junho smirks a little, knowing exactly what he wants. He’s not going to tease him anymore because the handjob he received deserves an equally great and quick outcome.

Junho swallows the tip and vigorously massages it with his tongue while he strokes the base of Minjun’s cock, doing both actions at a quick pace. Listening to another moan get distorted in Minjun’s throat, he knows his lover is about to coat his throat with his semen, so Junho moves even faster with his mouth and hand, both separate movements joining into one and forcing a loud cry of satisfaction out of Minjun. Junho sucks him until he’s completely dry and swallows the warm load licking his lips, looking at Minjun who has his head reclined back, veins protruded on his neck.

It’s too tempting for Junho to ignore this, so he stands up and presses against Minjun and latches his lips onto his neck, eliciting a shudder. He’s rather sensitive to touch and that’s pretty endearing.

“If you want to make a hickey, chose another place,” Minjun warns him before Junho can actually do that. He chuckles at how Minjun is onto him and his mischievous intentions.

“Yeah? How about this?” Junho once again sinks to his knees and places his lips onto the side of Minjun’s hip, right where the faded bullet scar resides. He doesn’t wait for the answer and marks Minjun there.

“Done?”

“For now, yes.” Junho smiles, rising to his full height. “I think you wanted a favour before offering your sexual services.” He picks up his underwear and shorts, swiftly slipping back into them. He will have to choose another shirt, though.

“Yeah, didn’t really mean to give you a handjob but it somehow turned into that…” Minjun chuckles, pulling his underwear and sweatpants back to his hips. “Since my phone is dead, I wanted to borrow yours to call Jackson.”

“Sure, no problem.” Junho unlocks his phone and hands it to Minjun.

“Thanks.” Minjun pecks his lips.

“I can take a look at your phone if you want to,” Junho offers, watching Minjun dial the number. He must have the most important phone numbers memorised.

“It’s over there,” Minjun presses the phone to his ear and points at the shoe bench in the hallway. His clothes from yesterday are still there along with the broken phone. Junho takes the device, immediately realising this thing is probably broken beyond repair, but he still grabs a set of tiny screwdrivers from the drawer in the living room and sits down while Minjun talks to Jackson.

He opens up the phone and determines it’d really be pointless to try and repair it; some microchips are damaged, there’s still some water in it, the screen is shattered, so the diagnosis is quite clear: Minjun needs a new phone.

The engineer hears dull footsteps and looks at Minjun approaching him. “How’s your employee?”

“Stable, so that’s good.” Junho nods at that and sees Wolie jump down from the fireplace, right under Minjun’s feet, making him almost trip. He almost drops Junho’s phone but manages to catch it in time, glaring at the cat.

“I swear she does that all the time to me. What’s her problem?”

“Maybe she’s jealous,” Junho smirks lightly.

“That’s not–” Minjun glances at the screen, appears to be puzzled briefly, then a wicked grin stretches across his amused face. “Didn’t think you were such a creep, Lee Junho.”

“What are you babbling about?” He puts the broken phone down and stands up, snatching his device from Minjun’s hands. The moment his sees the photo of Minjun sleeping on the sofa with Wolie on his stomach, he feels heat rushing to his ears. Well, that’s embarrassing to be exposed like this. Goddamn Wolie, making Minjun trip and magically open that exact photo. At least he didn’t see the ones Junho took while snooping around Minjun’s apartment. That would pop all the vessels inside his body.

“Something tells me there should be more,” Minjun teases while Junho is debating internally whether he should lock Wolie somewhere or lock himself up until the embarrassment wears off.

“What!? No!” Junho screeches and the mischief in Minjun’s eyes only intensifies.

“You’re a terrible liar, your ears are so red it’s actually cute.” Minjun touches Junho’s left ear and the latter swats his hand away. There’s a limit to how much teasing Junho can endure and he wants to crawl into a hole.

“Fuck off,” he hisses, but then Minjun touches Junho’s neck and kisses him in an attempt to calm him down a little. Junho would love to ignore those soft lips but his body responds before he can think; he circles his arms around the bodyguard’s waist and answers the kiss a little too eagerly, a little rough against the older man’s mouth.

Minjun pulls back after a little while, hands on Junho’s shoulders. “It’s okay if you have more, I’d love to know if they’re as innocent as this one.”

Junho exhales, perfectly knowing there’s no point in hiding this anymore. “I’m not perverted.” Minjun laughs at that and Junho smacks his shoulder blade with the free hand, the other one still holding the phone that betrayed him. “Okay, let me rephrase it. I didn’t go out of my way to stalk you in the shower or anywhere else because that’s just not right. But when we went to your apartment, I might have taken a couple of photos from the photo collage you have in your office…”

“Really? Which ones?”

Junho sighs and lets go of Minjun’s body. He swipes through the photo album and shows the embarrassing evidence to his amused lover. “There, laugh all you want.” He shoves the phone into Minjun’s hands and crosses his arms on his chest.

Junho watches Minjun’s face attentively, noticing how tender his expression gets looking at the screen. “It’s… I think it’s lovely. You chose the photos I like the most.” He looks at Junho with loving eyes, and that gaze makes something twist in Junho’s stomach. It’s amazing how a certain aura in a person’s eyes can make you feel so much. Junho smiles, looking away.

Maybe showing these to Minjun wasn’t such a bad idea if he gets to hear something so touching. He can feel Minjun’s warm gaze, too. “I could look at you forever,” Minjun says quietly, and his words make Junho stare at him, feeling like his heart is going to burst from happiness.

“Even when I’m wrinkly and old?” Junho comes closer, taking the phone away and slipping it into his pocket.

“Even then.” Minjun takes Junho’s hands in his and intertwines their fingers, placing smooches all over them, the simple display of affection completely disarming Junho, his previous embarrassment completely gone.

Junho hugs Minjun’s torso, pressing his face into the crook of the bodyguard’s neck, feeling the protective arms wrap around him and trap him in a doting embrace. It’s only day two of them being together and Junho’s already so overjoyed.

However, a tiny prick of anxiety also is there, making him remember how they can be like this only in a safe environment, this house, basically. All he wants is the freedom to love this man; Junho doesn’t want to hide, he wants everyone to know how fucking happy he is. But as long as he gets to stay with Minjun like this, Junho will accept all terms and conditions to have what they have now, even if they can show their feelings only in this safe fortress, only if it’s just between the two of them.

“You need a new phone,” Junho mumbles into Minjun’s neck.

“Does that mean we get to go on a Sunday date?” Junho laughs at Minjun, pulling away.

“Yes. Sounds fun when I can’t touch you in public.”

“You can touch me, no physical contact at all might look odd.”

“You know what I mean.” Junho kisses him briefly to make a point.

“Use your imagination,” Minjun chuckles, letting go of the engineer.

Yeah, back to that, Junho sighs.

 

+

 

Once they’re outside the house, Minjun is back to the usual bodyguard mode. It’s like nothing has changed. Junho also makes sure he’s acting like usual around him: making jokes, touching when it’s appropriate, nothing that would reveal they’re more than just a client and a bodyguard. It’s kind of fun, even. They know something that other people wouldn’t even suspect. Having this secret, their secret, tightens the invisible bond.

“I think you should take that one; specs are really good, especially the camera,” Junho points at a rose-gold smartphone.

“I don’t really care about the camera.”

“You should.”

“Why?”

Minjun glances at him and Junho leans closer, whispering. “So you can send me your nudes.” Minjun rolls his eyes while Junho grins a little too sinisterly.

“Forget about that.”

“You’re not into that?”

Minjun raises his eyebrows, sceptical. “Not really. Phones can be hacked.”

“Not my phone. I make sure it’s well protected.”

“I’m still not doing that…” Minjun whispers this time, pretending he’s very interested in the phone they’re looking at.

“I’ll send you mine.” Junho lifts his eyebrows suggestively.

“That doesn’t make sense. I’m with you 24/7. You’re always in my sight.”

“But I’m dressed…”

“Junho, please…” Minjun exhales, exasperated.

The engineer laughs and takes a step back, satisfied with Minjun’s annoyed expression. Teasing is fun when Minjun’s on the receiving end.

Minjun chooses a different phone, a jet black Samsung. It also has a good camera and maybe someday Minjun will change his mind about taking naughty selfies and sending them over to Junho. He will make sure the bodyguard’s phone is impossible to hack once he gets the chance.

They exit the shop and walk down the shopping mall corridor when they encounter none other than Wooyoung heading towards them, a cup of iced coffee in one hand. The detective waves at them, a friendly smile plastered across his face.

“What a nice coincidence,” Wooyoung shakes their hands. “Enjoying Sunday?”

“Kind of. I broke my phone yesterday, so I had to get a new one,” Minjun says.

“How? The weather was so bad I stayed at home all day.” The detective looks at Minjun curiously.

“One of my guards was injured badly, maybe you saw it in the news. Actress and her ex-husband in the airport.” Wooyoung nods. “Anyway, I had to help Jackson with that, and when I left the office someone bumped into me and I dropped my phone into a puddle. Completely broken. The person didn’t even stop.”

“Wow, rude.” Wooyoung shakes his head, disappointed in humanity, possibly. “Hey, can we find a quieter place?”

“Sure, there’s an open rooftop,” Minjun suggests and they use the elevator to get there.

It’s still cloudy today but at least it’s not raining anymore. There’s a pleasant breeze on the rooftop as they walk to a more secluded area to watch over the area from above. Junho hopes Wooyoung has something good to share regarding the case; holding onto the railing, he glances at the detective, “So, how’s the investigation going?”

“Well, the process is slow, and I have only one bug.” Wooyoung sips on his drink.

“Do you need more?”

“No, it’s better to concentrate on one thing at a time, so I don’t miss out on anything.”

“So, no news?” Junho inquires, feeling slightly upset. He knows he can’t expect to get the results quickly, but he wishes the investigation would go smoother. He so wants to be done with the Serpent.

“If you want to hear something good, then I can tell you that at least I’m capable of weeding out the small fish now. The list of suspects is getting shorter, so that’s something to be excited about. Currently, the bug is at your dad’s law firm. I’m looking into Mr. Park.” Junho’s interest is piqued.

“And?”

“So far he seems to be harmless, but I’m not done yet. Although, he likes bitching about how he deserved to be the general manager, but that happens only when he’s on the phone with his wife.” Wooyoung laughs and Junho snorts at that piece of information. Mr. Park is still bitter about Sunmi being the boss over there, huh? Sure, it must be a big blow when he used to be the right-hand man to his dad and was probably expecting that promotion. Losing to a young female must have damaged his massive ego. “My next target is Chansung. I just can’t explain, but I get this feeling there might be more than meets the eye.”

“You’re not going to look into his boss, Jung Jihoon?” Junho asks.

“I will, but it’s not easy even with the bug; the security is tight around him. Recently, he got a couple of bodyguards himself. If Chansung’s really his lackey, then I should start with him.”

“Why would he need bodyguards?” Minjun inquires this time, Junho raising his eyebrow as well.

“That’s what I’d like to know. If he’s so innocent and supposedly owns just his robotics company, why does he need all that protection? Seems a little redundant to me. Unless he has dangerous enemies we don’t know about.”

“That bastard surely has something going on in the shadows,” Junho sighs, glancing at the busy street below. “Anyway, it’s good to know you’re moving forward with the investigation.” The engineer exchanges chummy smiles with Wooyoung.

“Yeah, the bug is very helpful, thanks again.”

“Hey, no problem. It’s for the greater good,” Junho replies, and Wooyoung glances at his watch.

“Sorry, I gotta run, my date is waiting.”

“Cute,” Junho grins, “don’t keep her waiting.”

“Yeah, it was good to see you two. Enjoy your Sunday!” Wooyoung turns on his heels and leaves them alone.

“You know, I should go through my dad’s documents at home. Maybe there’s more information Wooyoung could use. Maybe dad was working on something Wooyoung doesn’t know about.” Junho leans back on the railing, Minjun right beside him, face towards the street checking their surroundings.

“Perhaps you’re right. Should we head home?” Junho nods. Going through everything will take a lot of time.

 

+

 

Junho is completely engrossed in the documents, flipping through old cases looking for something that might be useful to Wooyoung’s investigation. What if there’s something his father wasn’t able to share because of his untimely death? There is a tiny possibility, but Junho also might find nothing. Nonetheless, it’s worth checking out.

It’s getting dark outside, so he switches the table lamp on, reading with enviable composure. He went through around 30% of the material during the last five hours, hoping to find something good, but so far nothing really is catching his eye. Minjun had offered his help, but Junho declined it, basically shoving him out of the office. In reality, he just wants Minjun to have some time for himself because it must be tiring to have his mind focused on Junho and his problems all the time. While it sounds quite nice, Junho doesn’t want to take Minjun’s alone-time away from him, even if Minjun says he doesn’t mind that. Junho’s a workaholic, so he knows how it can get when you’re focused on your tasks all the time. Minjun’s probably still thinking about his guard in the hospital, too. Junho leans back in his comfortable chair and rubs his eyes, thinking it’d be nice to take a break right about now.

There’s a knock, and when Junho opens his eyes, he sees Minjun leaning on the door frame, white towel wrapped around his hips, his damp bangs cover his forehead, arms folded below his chest. What a sight, the right corner of Junho’s lips turns upwards.

“How about you read me instead of those papers?” Minjun says with a sultry expression, immediately awakening carnal desires within Junho.

“Just read?” Junho rises from his seat and walks over to Minjun.

“Some people read with their hands,” Minjun takes Junho’s hand in his and kisses the knuckles. “You can read me in every way you want.”

“Are you offering what I think you’re offering?” Junho gulps, his palm settling on the back of the older man’s neck.

“Yeah. Fuck me. I’m prepared.”

“Fuck, Minjun, how about a little subtlety?” Minjun laughs.

“Pretending to be a prude now? Really?” Junho sticks his tongue out, grinning. “That’s more like it.” Minjun leans in and presses his tongue against Junho’s, followed by his lips.

Junho’s fingers mess Minjun’s dewy hair even more, the latter pressing their hips closer, making out in the doorway. Is this how the honeymoon phase feels? If so, Junho might start working remotely more often just to have this.

They separate from the kiss and Junho grabs Minjun’s hand, leading him to his bedroom and kissing him occasionally, stumbling a little until they reach the bed where Junho pushes him down, falling on top.

Junho takes a moment to scan Minjun’s face, marvelling at how attractive he is, especially when he looks at Junho with so much affection and desire. Junho runs his thumb against the bodyguard’s cheek, cupping his jaw. “God, you’re so ravishing. I’m tempted to ignore my duties at DSMN just to be with you.”

“I think your vision is getting worse.” Minjun smiles tenderly. Junho can swear he heard a tinge of self-deprecation there and that makes him frown, realising it might be a deeper issue.

“Minjun, my vision is perfect. And you’re so attractive I can get a hard-on just by looking at you clean a toilet.” The older man sighs, touching Junho’s hand resting on his jaw. Junho notices more of that wavering self-doubt and it feels like he struck a nerve, although Minjun doesn’t look annoyed by that. “Did someone put some weird ideas in your head about your appearance?” Minjun looks away, his expression thoughtful, which makes Junho look at his profile with a crease of concern between his eyebrows. “Tell me, please?” It’s quiet for a few moments but then Minjun glances at Junho and opens up.

“I was told if I were more attractive, I’d be easier to pass as a girl and be actually fuckable.”

“Wait what?!” Junho ignites. “Who the fuck would say offensive shit like that?”

“Him” is all Minjun says, and it’s enough for Junho to understand he means Taecyeon. That fucking dickhead. That fucking imbecile. If Junho could, he would throw Taecyeon in a pit of scorpions. Just how much damage has he done to Minjun? How much more did Minjun have to suffer because of that insensitive asshole? How many mental wounds has he inflicted upon Minjun? As if abusing his feelings and body weren’t enough, he had to tell him degrading shit like that. Junho has never seen the man and he hates him so much he could use that energy to maintain a power plant.

“Listen to me,” Junho sets his rage aside and touches Minjun’s chin gently, making the latter look at him. “Something said by someone who had no regard for your feelings, and who has a completely different mindset and values, please don’t let it affect you anymore. I don’t want his poisonous words to damage you any longer. You deserve so much better because you _are_ so much better than that obnoxious moron. He’s a rotten piece of shit who wanted to destroy everything beautiful about you. He’s the one who should be ashamed. I have never seen a person with such a gorgeous soul and body, you’re like a miracle to me. You always find the right words to say, you know when to push and when to stop, you’re so damn caring I want to punch myself sometimes at how endearing that trait of yours is. And your eyes… Wow, where do I begin? They suck me in immediately, just one glance and I’m fucking done. I want a carving of your face, so I can put the sculpture in my office and marvel at it all the time. Your lips, goddamn it if those aren’t the plumpest and most alluring lips I’ve ever seen… The things they’re capable of… I can’t–” Junho’s heartfelt confession is interrupted abruptly by a pair of passionate lips, Minjun’s hand on the back of his neck, the other one on the small of Junho’s back, beckoning him closer.

Junho can feel Minjun’s love through the kiss, how much he appreciates Junho’s encouraging words. Minjun breathes heavier into the kiss, hugging Junho’s neck. It’s like he wants to convey the deep emotion he can’t say out loud just yet and Junho’s okay with that. He knows it must be hard for Minjun, especially now. He’s been hurt, he’s probably still afraid, but he’s willing to let Junho in and it’s all that matters. Who would have known that behind a tough and confident exterior lies such a sensitive heart covered with old bandages? Junho wants to tear them away; he wants to touch his heart and kiss it until the scars become bearable and make them disappear over time. He wants to believe he has that power, and the way Minjun’s reacting to him, he believes he’s on the right track.

_Patience._

They break away from the kiss and Junho sits back, straddling Minjun’s thighs as he removes his shirt. Junho traces his palm down Minjun’s heaving chest and stops at the meteorite shower scar scattered on the older man’s rib-cage. He brushes his fingers across the pale patches of skin. “This is beautiful; I’ve always thought it looks like a meteorite shower.” Junho gives a tight-lipped smile and glances at Minjun’s face, seeing gratitude in his dark eyes. “You’re a survivor. Not only that; you’re a saviour, too. I wouldn’t be here without you. I owe you my life. I owe you everything.”

“Junho…” Minjun licks his lips, seemingly slightly embarrassed, probably not used to hearing something so painfully sincere and raw.

“I love you.” Junho bends down and cups Minjun’s face in his hands. “I love you.”

“I know,” Minjun whispers, his voice shaky.

“I love you,” he repeats, seeing Minjun’s expressions shift countless times, noticing how his words affect his lover. They’re reaching him deep, Junho’s sure of it.

They share another passionate kiss until Junho slides lower, tracing his lips down his neck, chest, the meteorite shower, and abdomen. Junho slips his hand under the towel and unwraps Minjun like a gift, leaving him completely naked. He takes in the view, enjoying every second as his eyes travel across his lover’s bronze body.

“Turn around, babe. I want to make you feel good,” Minjun does so and Junho spreads his legs, pulling Minjun by his thighs so his ass is positioned a little higher. Junho grabs a pillow and puts it below the bodyguard’s hips, pushing him down gently.

Minjun hides his face into the sheets when Junho spreads his butt cheeks and licks his puckered hole, giving him a hint of what’s about to happen. Minjun’s not the only one good with his tongue, and Junho is about to prove that by fucking his asshole with his tongue.

Minjun gasps when Junho starts licking him, and seconds later, he shudders when Junho pushes his tongue past the ring muscle, the wet sensation forcing a whimper out of the bodyguard’s throat. Junho flicks his tongue inside and out, licking him in the sensitive spot vigorously, making Minjun release more of those beautiful sounds he’s not too keen on exposing. He squeezes the butt cheeks a little rougher, spreading them more, simultaneously adding more saliva and tongue action. By the way Minjun starts bucking his hips into the pillow, hiding his suppressed moans into the sheets, Junho knows he’s doing a great job at pleasing his lover.

Since Minjun has cleaned himself beforehand and Junho did a great job with his tongue, he’s not that tight, so Junho pushes two fingers in and Minjun doesn’t protest that; on the contrary, he pushes back against the digits inside him, showing he wants more.

Junho adds the third finger, leaning down and kissing Minjun’s back muscles between his shoulder blades. He’s grinding against the pillow, cheating a little, but Junho is okay with that since he’s just fingering him, searching for that bundle of nerves to elicit more indecent sounds from Minjun.

Minjun lifts his upper body as Junho’s fingers hit it, releasing a guttural groan Junho had wanted to hear so much. Seeing Minjun so riled up makes Junho’s cock twitch in his shorts and he undresses himself quickly, making Minjun wait a little, feeling desire consuming him because Minjun is so exposed to him on all fours, legs spread wide.

Junho grabs the lube and coats his dick generously, then rubs some around Minjun’s entrance. He closes Minjun’s legs and makes him keep them pressed together, so Junho can straddle his thighs and create more friction between them, almost lying on top. He guides his erection right into the tight heat, caressing the bodyguard’s lower back soothingly as Minjun’s breathing hitches at the sensation stretching his insides.

“Is everything okay?” Junho kisses his shoulder and Minjun nods.

“Move,” he replies.

At first it’s slow, but then Junho picks up speed, making Minjun moan more, his cock hitting that sweet spot over and over. He continues kissing Minjun’s neck and back and after a while, Junho sits back, hooking his arm around Minjun’s waist and pulling his lover’s body upright with him, so Minjun would be able to slam himself against Junho’s sweaty thighs, sitting on his lap.

One arm still wrapped around Minjun’s waist, Junho uses the other hand to turn Minjun’s face towards him because he’s craving those passionate lips on his. The pose isn’t very comfortable for kissing, but Minjun’s flexible enough to at least give Junho a few languid smooches. Then, the bodyguard turns away and holds onto Junho’s thighs, impaling himself on Junho’s cock continuously.

Junho notices sweat rolling down the back of Minjun’s neck and he bites on his shoulder, not too rough but enough to make the latter gasp and stop briefly. The pause is short, then the sound of skin slapping against skin fills the bedroom once again. Junho wraps his hand around Minjun’s hard shaft and strokes him eagerly while the older man slams his hips against Junho’s thighs.

It’s not enough to just know Minjun feels great. Junho wants to see his face, he wants to see the exact moment Minjun reaches his climax. So, he pushes his lover’s body forward and rolls him on his back, lifting Minjun’s left leg over his shoulder for better access. He hugs Minjun’s leg pressed against his chest and shoulder, and pushes his throbbing dick back where it belongs, watching Minjun close his eyes and part his lips. Fuck, he’s so beautiful like this, vulnerable and strong at the same time, allowing Junho to see such an intimate side of him.

Junho fucks him hard. Seeing how good that makes Minjun feel makes him even harder if that’s humanly possible. He sees Minjun reach for his own leaking dick to stroke himself, nearing the culmination. “Yes, come for me, babe.”

Minjun gazes at Junho, tongue darting at the corner of his lips and swiping across the pink glistening flesh, the arousing view making Junho push in and out faster, watching Minjun come undone thanks to all this stimulation hitting him deep and hard, a hand wrapped around his cock to make him see the stars faster. White ribbons of semen land on Minjun’s stomach and chest, Junho visually absorbing the pleasure in Minjun’s blown pupils and open mouth, a moan struggling to get past his throat.

It’s more than enough to make Junho release his load inside Minjun and he watches his own cock slide in and out, seeing how lube mixes with his own come, dripping out of Minjun’s ass when he pulls out completely.

Junho has only enough energy to grab the towel Minjun was wearing earlier and press it against the bodyguard’s lower body while he himself falls right beside him, trying to catch his breath. Sex with him is too amazing. How’s that even possible?

After a couple of moments spent in silence, Minjun cleans himself with the towel and presses it against Junho’s groin. Junho smirks, wiping his softened dick clean, and throws the towel on the floor so he can pull Minjun into a post-coital embrace. He feels so complete with Minjun in his arms, the latter kissing his cheek briefly, one arm wrapped around Junho’s chest.

“It’s going to be tough keeping my hands off you tomorrow,” Junho says with a playful tone.

“It’s going to be easy for me,” Minjun grins.

“How come?”

“I’ll be thinking about how to walk properly without raising too much suspicion,” Junho laughs.

“Shit, did I go overboard? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I liked it. I think I pulled a muscle in my thigh.”

“Sorry,” Junho pecks him on the lips. “I thought yoga prevents that.”

“Yoga doesn’t prevent me from getting banged by my wild lover.”

“Lover, huh. Sounds nice.” Junho smiles to himself, caressing Minjun’s hair while staring at the ceiling.

They enjoy the silence in each other’s arms, and Junho senses how Minjun’s breathing slows down, his eyes closed. How wonderful it is to fall asleep with and wake up to this lovely face before him. Junho will do everything in his power to keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we went deeper... lol. How's the role reversal? I like my versatile OTP haha. Let me know what you thought about this chapter *u*


	18. Promise

Junho exits the car and marvels at the church while smoothing down the material of his light grey suit. Yeeun’s wedding is most definitely going to be a unique one because she’s about to get married to Louis, a half-French, half-Korean businessman. They met thanks to Junho, in a way, since he was looking for a supplier and Louis’s company had what he needed. Being the head of the design department, Yeeun takes part in business meetings, so that’s how they came to know each other three years ago. Now, they’re about to take a very important step in their lives, and Junho will be one of the witnesses.

Yeeun has always been quirky with an interesting view of life. Luckily, Louis seemed to be the same and they clicked very fast. Junho would often joke that Louis signed the contract so rapidly only so he could pursue Yeeun, not caring about the business aspect at all. Either way, it all worked out pretty well for everyone: Junho got a reliable supplier, and Yeeun got her future husband.

Since Louis belongs to a protestant church and Yeeun isn’t particularly religious, they chose the ceremony according to her husband-to-be’s religion. Yeeun also didn’t want a typical wedding in a conveyer-like wedding hall, so for the fun part of the celebration, they rented a villa in the mountains a little outside of Seoul. Junho was curious to see what it’d look like.

“It’s a little cloudy, let’s hope it won’t rain,” Minjun says, standing beside Junho, dressed in his usual black formal attire.

“Yeah, that might ruin their wedding photoshoot later on.” Junho looks at him, thinking about the time Minjun came back drenched and half-naked.

It’s been two weeks since then. Their days are filled with stolen glances when they’re outside the house, and when they’re back, they waste no time showing their affection. During those times, they’re learning what they like, what doesn’t really work for them, and similar aspects of being intimate with one another. For instance, Minjun hates being tickled. Apparently, he’s sensitive to touch, especially on his neck and thighs. Junho makes sure to use that knowledge to his advantage.

Waking up to Minjun’s hands in Junho’s underwear sure is one of the best ways to begin his day. Needless to say, it takes more time to get out of bed in the morning. Junho didn’t know his libido could increase that much, but it did, and he has no clue when it’d be back to normal because it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon.

Coming home in the evening would start with a passionate kiss, sometimes ending up in a quick blowjob because that’s how hungry they are for each other after a long day pretending to be nothing more than a client and a bodyguard. Junho must admit — there is something exciting about their secrecy.

And exactly because of those distracting intimate moments, Junho couldn’t properly work on his father’s documents. It’s so easy to get side-tracked by Minjun’s presence. The day Junho started going through the papers was really the only time he managed to borrow a few hours to properly review them. If not Minjun, then it’d be cooking, exercising, cleaning, getting stuck in traffic, or other circumstances preventing him from going faster through piles of paper.

However, in two weeks, Junho was able to go through around 90% of the documents. It’s close to an end but so far, nothing has caught his interest, and he has a bad feeling he might not get anything useful from it at all. All of this meticulous work might be in vain.

“Hey, you’re here!” Nichkhun’s cheerful voice makes them both turn around. Junho smiles at Fei holding onto the arm of her husband, who is wearing a dark navy suit, looking like royalty.

“Wow, you two look gorgeous,” Junho says.

“What a sweet talker.” Fei chuckles, her pastel pink dress hugging her body tightly. Junho has always thought she is very pretty, and Nichkhun really got lucky marrying someone not only this dazzling but also smart because she can talk about anything and keep it interesting.

“Just stating facts.” Junho grins slightly, then glances at his bodyguard. “Minjun, this is Fei. Fei, that’s Minjun. He’s my plus one.” Junho jokes and Minjun just shakes his head with a half-smile at the engineer’s daring joke, bowing slightly to Fei.

“He’s been your plus one for half a year now. How have you been able to stand Junho for so long, though? He can be so annoying sometimes,” Nichkhun inquires with a playful tone, earning a shoulder smack from Junho.

“I tell myself it’s for the sake of receiving good karma points,” Minjun says, playing along and making Junho roll his eyes.

“Listen, both of you, I can make your income very scarce if you continue trash talking about your boss, a.k.a me, like this.”

“Always with the financial threats… Accept our sincere apologies, sir,” Nichkhun says with fake mockery.

“Okay, move your ass to the church. Why did you marry this idiot again?” Junho looks at Fei.

“Because he knows how to make a woman happy.” She winks suggestively and Junho groans, acting disgusted.

Nichkhun and Fei walk in first, Junho and Minjun following behind. The church isn’t big but it still looks quite majestic. Flowers decorate the benches, while some candles near the altar create a cosy atmosphere.

They settle down on one of the benches close to the altar, although Minjun stays behind Junho, standing nearby to look over their surroundings as he usually does. Junho glances at Khun and Fei holding hands, whispering something to each other’s ears, and feels slightly jealous they can do that without a thought. He’d love to hold Minjun’s hand in public without any concerns, too.

The ceremony passes rather quickly; Junho thought it’d take longer, alas, the newlyweds already kissed, and flower petals are being thrown at them as they walk out of the church with happy smiles on their faces. Yeeun’s cream dress has a vintage vibe matching the dark green suit Louis is wearing, a tiny bouquet of wildflowers decorating his chest pocket. They really do look like an unconventional couple from indie films.

An image of Minjun kissing him at the altar pops up in Junho’s head and he feels fuzzy in his chest until Fei bumps into him.

“That was beautiful wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Junho smiles at her and notices Minjun’s eyes scanning the crowd. He wonders what’s going on in the bodyguard’s mind. Probably nothing romantic as his face seems to be in full composure, saying something through an earpiece to the guard duo observing everything a bit further away.

“So, when is your wedding?” she asks cheekily, her words forcing Junho to stare at her, making him feel like he’s been exposed. But she knows nothing about what really happens between them; there’s no need to freak out and Junho composes himself. He just has to say something witty.

“I’m not going to invite you anyway. You and Khun can get free meals somewhere else.” Fei arches her eyebrow, mouth open, pretending to be shocked and insulted.

“Yeah? We’re not coming even if you beg us, crawling on your knees.” Nichkhun hugs her from behind, staring at Junho while trying to look menacing, but his round, kind eyes just do not cooperate, so the engineer laughs at him.

“Dream on, Khunnie. And if I’m getting on my knees, it’s for a different purpose, which involves a different type of begging.” Junho sticks his tongue out at the astonished husband and wife and turns around, walking back to the SUV. He won this round.

“You and your foul mouth...” Minjun whispers, seemingly appearing out of nowhere right beside Junho’s ear, sending shivers down his spine. The bodyguard opens the door for Junho, the latter gazing at Minjun while making himself comfortable at the backseat.

“A mouth you adore so much,” Junho whispers back, biting on his lower lip, making Minjun sigh exasperatedly.

“I don’t get enough good karma points for this.”

“You get something else.” Junho lifts his eyebrows suggestively, which prompts Minjun to shut the door immediately. Junho snickers, satisfied.

 

+

 

It takes a little more than an hour to reach the destination in the mountain area. The villa is surrounded by a forest, with a small pond complimenting the landscape. The wooden terrace is decorated with round light bulbs, and Junho can see the tables inside the building covered with bouquets of roses and peonies. Clearly, Yeeun had something to do with this, being the design freak she is.

While the newlyweds are having a photoshoot somewhere nearby, Junho and other guests mingle around the place, fill in the guestbook, and take polaroids, sticking them to the portable wooden wall designed for this purpose.

Junho hangs out with Khun and Fei mostly, with Minjun staying close, seemingly a bit more relaxed since it’s a remote area and he’s already scanned everyone with his android-like vision. However, there’s still that wary aura emitting from him, but that’s just how he is, and it can’t be helped. He is a bodyguard after all.

“You know, we should take a photo of you two,” Fei says, staring at Minjun and Junho.

“Huh? Why?” Junho asks, noticing Minjun’s expression turn slightly puzzled.

“Why? Come on, you’re friends, aren’t you? At least I imagine you should be, considering you spend so much time together. Am I wrong?” Junho cannot really deny that, and when he sees Minjun smile humbly, he takes it as a sign of approval.

“Well, he has a couple of scars because of me, so I guess that makes us friends.”

“See?” Fei grabs Minjun’s hand and drags him over to Junho standing by the polaroid photo wall. “Someday you will look back at this photo and it will remind you of the fun time you had together. Make memories while you can,” Fei winks, releasing Minjun’s hand and taking a couple of steps back.

“She’s really obsessed with that,” Khun says, chomping on a snack. “Our house is full of photos.”

“Documenting our life is my hobby, so stop nagging, darling.” She pecks his cheek, taking the polaroid camera from his hand.

“Fine.” Nichkhun stares at Junho and Minjun, standing next to each other. “You really should hug or something. Now, you look like two school kids before an exam.”

Junho glances at Minjun and circles his arm around his shoulders while the bodyguard hugs Junho’s waist, also looking at him. At that moment, the shutter clicks and Junho frowns, snapping his head back at Fei. “Hey, we weren’t ready.” They let go of each other.

“I think you were; it’s going to be a lovely photo. I prefer catching candid moments like this, you’ll thank me later.” She laughs and takes the photo in her fingers, waving it in the air until it develops.

All of them gather around Fei and take a good look at the photo, Junho feeling tingling and warmth behind his sternum because he can swear he didn’t smile, but in the photo, he is, while Minjun is looking back at him with a tender expression. It really is a lovely photo; however, Junho cannot disregard the prick of anxiety inside him, thinking what if this is enough proof they’re more than friends?

“See, I told you it’d turn out great.” Fei hands the photo to Junho. “A bodyguard who saves your life is more than just a bodyguard, isn’t he? This will be a good memory when the Serpent is done chasing you and you don’t have to worry about anything anymore.”

Junho glances at her, then at Nichkhun, and the latter smiles sympathetically. Of course, the two must share everything between them. Fei probably knows everything that Nichkhun is aware of. That means Junho’s anxiety, therapy, and things like that. She clearly wishes Junho well and he offers a modest smile.

“Thanks, Fei,” he says, and she squeezes his shoulder.

“We’re going to check out the pond,” Khun says and takes Fei’s hand, walking away.

Junho waits until they’re far enough before looking at the photo again. He wants to frame it, in all honesty. It’s their first photo together because Minjun isn’t really into taking pictures, but for some reason, he didn’t refuse it this time. Junho looks at him.

“Why did you agree to take a photo?”

“Because it’d look fishy if I didn’t,” he says.

“Ah, practical and calculating as always.” Junho looks away, slightly disappointed with the answer.

“And because I wanted to have this photo with you. She’s right, it’s a nice memory.” Minjun takes a step closer and takes the photo from Junho’s hands, staring at it. “You look stunning.”

Junho feels heat rush to his face at the unexpected compliment. Why is it that when Minjun says something affectionate to him, his body reacts immediately? “Says the Prince Charming,” Junho says, grinning a little, taking the photo back and putting it in his jacket pocket. Minjun is barely smiling; his dark eyes speak more, letting Junho know he’s touched. Ever since Junho learned Minjun might have some self-image issues, he makes sure he says at least one compliment per day to him so the demon of self-deprecation would become less powerful and would evaporate eventually. So far, it seems like Junho’s doing great tending to Minjun’s old wounds.

 

+

 

This wedding is like a multicultural pot. Louis being half-French and half-Korean surely is the main reason behind this. Junho has already heard at least five different languages and even had the chance to brush up on his own English and French. The atmosphere is so easy-going with people from various backgrounds discussing differences and similarities between their cultures.

Bride’s bouquet-catching went wild, too, girls screaming at Yeeun to throw the bunch more accurately; during her first failed attempt, the bouquet somehow landed right in Minjun’s hands. They were standing at the back of the excited bunch of women, having no idea Yeeun would actually have so much strength in her arms to throw the flowers so far back.

Minjun looked a little uncomfortable being at the centre of attention, so Junho saved him there, grabbing the bouquet immediately and throwing it back at Yeeun, poking fun at her poor aim and how she must have done that on purpose to sabotage all the women and their prospects of getting married.

When everyone’s attention was back on the women, Junho couldn’t help but lean in and tease Minjun a little, describing his confused face, to which Minjun could only glare back.

The rest of the evening was full of fun wedding games, followed by a performance from a live band, energising everyone even more. Junho cannot remember the last time he was at such an enjoyable party. The only drawback though was that Minjun couldn’t join him — he was quietly observing everything from a slight distance.

Junho flops on the chair after attempting to dance lindy hop with Yeeun. It was half-bad, but at least everyone had a good laugh. He is sure snippets of their dance will be included in the wedding film since the videographer glided around them swiftly, grinning.

He’s staring at the crowd going crazy on the dance floor when a long-haired woman sits on the chair right in front of him and touches his knee, leaning closer, obviously trying to show off her breasts, and wearing a flirty expression. Junho arches his eyebrow.

“You know, your moves were pretty good.” He gets a whiff of alcohol from her. This woman obviously is relaxed to the max, her hand going higher up his thigh. “We could dance… Or do something else…” Junho gulps, pretty sure there is _someone_ witnessing this act of seduction. “You’re really handsome; I’ve been eyeing you all evening.”

“I’m flattered, but maybe just keep it at that.” Junho smirks, but it looks like his answer only made her more determined, her other hand landing on Junho’s other thigh, her face extremely close to his. He gulps, imaging how this must look from an outsider’s perspective. All he can think about is Minjun seeing all of this, and the last thing Junho wants to do is break his trust. He can’t even see him because he’s somewhere behind his back. Junho stands up abruptly. “You really shouldn’t do this.”

She rises to her feet as well, her palm landing on Junho’s chest. “Playing hard to get? You’re alone here, I don’t see a girlfriend.” She bats her fake eyelashes slowly.

“You don’t know what’s in my heart, though. I suggest you find someone else because you’re just wasting your time here.”

Her face falls, realising she doesn’t stand a chance. She’s a real bombshell who probably isn’t used to being rejected, so she turns around hastily and leaves Junho alone.

“Fuck,” he whispers and turns around, seeing Minjun with his arms folded on his chest, a perfect poker face. Junho walks to him. “I need fresh air,” he says and moves over to the glass door separating the wedding hall from the porch leading to the pond.

It’s dark outside and it’s raining, so Junho leans against the wooden railing with his forearms, the balcony above sheltering him from the raindrops. Minjun joins him, although he’s leaning with his back, facing the building. Junho looks up at him. “Hey, I hope you’re not mad.”

Minjun barely smirks. “I’d hit on you too if I had the chance.” Junho snorts.

“She was really persistent.”

“Yeah, I could see that.” Junho wishes Minjun would look at him but the bodyguard’s eyes are scanning everything behind Junho since the engineer is facing the pond.

“I would never cheat on you,” Junho whispers, and these words make Minjun finally look at Junho. There’s a tender, closed-mouthed smile on his face as he nods without saying anything.

Junho turns around to stare at the dancing people through the glass door, palms grasping onto the wooden railing. “Do you ever think about marriage?” he asks suddenly. The question makes Minjun glance at him with a whimsical glint behind his eyes.

“What do you mean, exactly?”

“Do you ever want to get married?” Junho clarifies, and Minjun’s gaze abandons the younger man’s face.

“It’s not legal here,” he says silently. Something claws at Junho’s stomach, noticing the barely visible pensive smile on the bodyguard’s face.

“And if it were?” Junho probes more, something so intimate about this question, maybe a little too soon, but they’re at the wedding and you cannot not talk about things like that here.

Minjun sighs. “Yeah. I’d love that. Someday.” Junho stares at his profile. Minjun seems to be slightly shy touching this topic. “What about you?”

Junho chuckles a little. “I had never thought about this before, but now I do.” He finds Minjun’s eyes; the air around them becomes tense. “There’s this person… I can see myself getting old together with that person. Is there someone like that for you, too?”

“Hmm…” Minjun looks away, a teasing grin stretching across his soft features. “There’s this person… He can be so annoying. Like, when he steals the duvet at night or when he makes really inappropriate jokes at the worst time. Really has no concept of personal space when it’s just the two of us in a private setting.”

“Doesn’t sound like someone you’d want to get married to,” Junho snorts.

“Yeah, but that’s what I also like about that person. It’s never boring. I’m always excited around that person, even if it doesn’t show.” Minjun looks at him with the warmest eyes, making Junho swallow slowly so he wouldn’t tackle him out of pure love.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” Junho whispers so quietly he’s not sure Minjun heard him, but when he notices the shift of mood in his dark orbs exposing his desire, Junho knows his lover heard him.

Minjun cuts their charged staring by looking away and clearing his throat. “Did you see what they have in the bush right beside that pillar?” Minjun points his chin at the massive square pillar supporting the balcony above them. Junho didn’t pay attention to the tall decorative bushes placed on each side, making a nice pathway in and out of the building.

“Huh? I can see only blossoms?”

“Take a closer look from the railing side; you’ll be surprised.”

Junho makes his way towards the shadows, guessing what could be so interesting about the bush. Maybe there is a nest of fireflies or something?

Suddenly, his arm is being grabbed and Junho finds himself being pushed against the pillar, Minjun’s right hand on his neck and the left arm circled around his waist. Junho’s heartbeat picks up immediately, and he doesn’t have time to react properly when Minjun kisses him with such passion that Junho’s entire body trembles and he melts against him, his arms hooked around the bodyguard’s wide shoulders.

Minjun’s tongue is rough against Junho’s, devouring his lips hastily as if there’s not enough time in the world. It’s just something else to be kissed by him in a place other than Junho’s home. There’s a sense of danger that thrills Junho, but he’s sure Minjun wouldn’t do this if he weren’t sure about the spot they’re in. So, Junho hugs him tighter and deepens the kiss, so fucking happy Minjun gave in.

Just like it started unexpectedly, it ended just as quickly. Junho is heaving against the pillar, staring at Minjun leaning back against the railing, both of them in the shadows, shielded by the concrete construction and the decorative bushes. Junho lifts his eyebrow, questioningly, and Minjun chuckles briefly, clearly satisfied with the reaction.

“It’s a blind spot,” he explains his unforeseen decision.

“And how long have you been aware of it?”

“Since the beginning,” Minjun admits with a grin and goes back to Junho just to plant a soft smooch on his glistening lips, cupping his jaw with one hand. “You really make it hard for me to resist you. You have to stop that,” Minjun pecks his lips again.

“Now, that gives me even more motivation.” Junho grins as Minjun pulls away, sighing.

“You’re really so damn annoying,” Minjun says with a whimsical expression, and Junho grabs his hand, trying to make him stay in the shadows.

“I’ll take that as _‘I love you’_.” Minjun smiles, shaking his head at Junho when he suddenly slips his hand out of the engineer’s grasp, probably seeing someone else approach the exit to the porch. Junho emerges from the shadows as well, noticing Khun and Fei making their way towards them.

They don’t pay much attention to Junho and Minjun, seemingly preoccupied with whatever they were laughing about before reaching the porch. Then, Khun finally looks at them. “Oh, you’re here. Enjoying the chill mountain weather?”

“As chill as it can get during the summertime,” Junho says casually, leaning back on the railing beside Minjun. Nichkhun and his wife stand in front of them, partially hugging. “What time is it?”

“Almost midnight. They’re going to do the fireworks soon and cut the cake. Are you really not going to stay here overnight? The villa has spare rooms,” Nichkhun inquires.

“No, I wouldn’t want to endanger people here. It’s best if I stay at my fortress, as usual.” Junho smiles a little solemnly.

“Are you sure?” Fei asks, seeming a bit concerned.

“Yeah, I don’t want to risk it. We will be leaving shortly after the midnight. It shouldn’t take that long to get back home since there’s not much traffic at night.” Khun and Fei nod at him, offering sympathetic smiles. Junho would love to stay, but the circumstances and fear don’t allow him to do what he wants to do. Hell only knows how much longer he will have to feel like a prisoner.

 

+

 

He taps his fingers on the steering wheel, glancing at the rear-view mirror. Junho is apparently asleep on the backseat, his head pressed against the tinted glass. It was a really long day for both of them, and Junho probably entered dreamland as soon as Minjun turned the engine on because he didn’t utter a word during those twenty minutes they’d been on the mountain road so far. Minjun would love to relax too, but he has to make sure he doesn’t crash like an idiot since the road has unexpected and tricky turns.

It was a wonderful wedding; Minjun has never been to such a unique celebration before. He has been to traditional Korean weddings, but they couldn’t compare to Yeeun and Louis’s. It was a pity he could only watch and not participate; although, involuntarily catching a bouquet definitely left a deep impression because all eyes were on him and he’s not used to that much attention. Sure, he’d get looks when his guns were exposed while following Junho around, but this felt completely different, maybe because of the general laid-back vibe and the fact he and Junho are secret lovers. It just felt like it was written on Minjun’s forehead and Junho, god bless him, reacted quickly to save them both from that slightly awkward situation.

What he didn’t like about the wedding was the outrageous woman who tried to get in Junho’s pants. Minjun noticed her stealing glances at Junho throughout the evening, while the unsuspecting fool had no clue she was basically shooting heart eyes at him. Minjun would love to think he wasn’t jealous because he trusts his lover but that wavering self-confidence sometimes still punches him right in the face, thinking what if he’s not good enough for Junho? Minjun knows the engineer would kick his ass for having those thoughts, but they occasionally appear out of nowhere, and it takes so much strength to convince himself Junho loves him the way he is. The younger man puts effort into expressing that every single day, be it with his actions or words, or a combination of the two. Minjun just cannot believe he finally has such a supportive and loving partner in his life. He wakes up every morning and touches Junho just to make sure he is real, that this is not a dream. What they have between them isn’t just a figment of his imagination.

Minjun always reciprocates when it’s just the two of them. During the day, they exchange jokes and whatnot, and once they’re behind safe walls, they indulge in one another. Minjun loves exploring Junho’s body, seeing different reactions and expressions. Waiting is always worth it.

He blinks, making another sharp turn, and glances at the rear-view mirror, realising the lights of the silver Hyundai that is supposed to be following behind are missing. Minjun slows down because the road ahead is straight, and activates his earpiece.

“Hey, where are you?” he asks, but doesn’t get a reply. “Joon, do you copy?” Nothing. “Seungho, can you hear me?” Still nothing, haunting silence. “Fuck,” Minjun curses, contemplating whether he should make a U turn and check what happened to them, but that could also be dangerous because he doesn’t know what happened to them and he has to protect Junho, too. Either way, the choice is tough.

Before he can ponder any more, he notices something laid across the asphalt a little too late, so he drives right through it, hearing dull explosions, the car immediately swerving into the ditch.

Minjun does his best to avoid the trees and, miraculously enough, the car stops right in front of a very large tree trunk. His heartbeat is rapid, and all he knows is that whatever was placed on the road destroyed the SUV’s tires. This can’t be coincidental, and it means only one thing: the Serpent is here.

Minjun jumps right out of the car and notices a couple of vehicles and human figures approaching them, so he rips the other car door open and sees a shocked Junho undoing his seatbelt. “What the fuck?” Junho asks, shaken.

“The Serpent. We have to move.”

“Behind you!” Junho yells, and the bodyguard swiftly turns around right when a huge Doberman jumps at him and sinks teeth into Minjun’s forearm, making him yell.

Affected by the adrenaline, Minjun pulls out the gun from his holster and shoots the dog, then grabs Junho’s arm and drags him behind the car, counting an approximate number of people rushing towards them. He counts around fifteen, but there could be more. He doesn’t want to risk Junho’s life, so there’s only one option: run deep into the forest.

“Minjun, your arm…” Junho says and Minjun glances at him, completely ignoring the pain in his flesh; he can’t really feel it at the moment.

“We have to run. No matter what happens, just run.” He sees Junho’s eyes full of fear but the latter nods, licking his lips nervously. He’s doing much better than in Singapore. It’s not the first time for them to be attacked, after all. Morbid positivity.

They start running, hiding behind the trees, but when they hear gunshots, Minjun is forced to slow down so they don’t get clipped accidentally. He notices a couple of figures approaching them from another angle. Fuck, they must’ve figured out their plan and regrouped.

The enemies shoot at them, but Minjun can swear they’re missing vital points on purpose. Were they instructed to apprehend them alive? If so, they might have an advantage here. Two pursuers are on their heels and Minjun pushes Junho away, landing a solid drop kick on one of the masked men, immediately rendering him unconscious. The second one jumps him, but Minjun grabs his arm and throws him over his shoulder, breaking the offenders arm and shooting him in the leg.

He notices Junho’s terrified expression and senses two more people approaching them, so Minjun wastes no time and shoots one of them while the second one uses the injured accomplice’s body to throw against Minjun, forcing him to fall to the ground. These men clearly have better training than those in Singapore.

Just when Minjun pushes the dead body off himself, the previous assailant tackles him back to the ground and lands a powerful punch on the bodyguard’s face, a taste of blood filling his mouth immediately. Minjun spits the iron-tasting liquid right at his face and is taken aback when the man just slumps on top of him. Minjun blinks, seeing Junho holding a huge rock in his hand, blood dripping from it. The man groans and Minjun rolls him off his body and quickly stands up on his feet, seeing more people approach them.

“Run.” He grabs Junho’s hand and they start running for their lives.

Bullets are chasing them, and Minjun can hear his own heartbeat in his ears, but he’s just pulling Junho harder, shooting back, both of them jumping over obstacles, racing death. He won’t let anything happen to Junho, that’s his top priority. Even if he himself gets torn apart in the process, he will do anything to save the man he loves.

Minjun has no idea how long they have been running, but when they pass a shallow river and soak their pants and shoes while crossing it, he realises it’s quiet enough to assume they’re considerably safe. However, he still encourages Junho to keep moving to make sure their pursuers are not following them anymore.

He can feel his own muscles tremble, adrenaline wearing off, and only when Junho breaks away from his grasp does he halt, heaving. They stare at each other, trying to catch their breath. “I’m exhausted. I can't run anymore,” Junho wheezes, holding onto his hips.

Minjun nods his head. “Okay. Alright, let’s take a short break before moving.”

“Haven’t we gone far enough?”

“I don’t know. But the further we get, the better the chances they’ll stop pursuing us.” Minjun attempts to lean on the tree with his injured arm and yelps, finally remembering he was bitten by a dog.

Junho immediately hurries to his aid and removes Minjun’s jacket. The engineer then rolls up Minjun’s bloody dress shirt sleeve and frowns at the nasty teeth marks, blood still seeping in some places. “That doesn’t look good,” Junho says, gazing at Minjun’s face with a crease between his eyebrows. “Hold on.” Junho takes the decorative handkerchief from his chest pocket and wraps it around Minjun’s injured forearm. Then, he helps Minjun slip back into the jacket and sighs, touching the bodyguard’s bruised cheek. It hurts and Minjun winces.

“Sorry,” Junho whispers, delicately wiping the blood off Minjun’s face with the sleeve of his jacket. Minjun can tell Junho is experiencing an avalanche of emotions, his eyes holding something painful behind them. It’s not physical, though.

“I’m okay,” Minjun tries to reassure him but Junho ducks his head, staring at their shoes.

“You keep getting scars because of me. I can’t stand seeing you get hurt,” Junho says quietly and then lifts his head to look Minjun straight in the eye. “Maybe we should consider someone else taking your position.”

Minjun frowns. “Stop talking nonsense.”

“What the hell, Minjun?” Junho yells. “Do you really have to sacrifice so much for me? You have a lot of great guards; I’m fine with even an entire horde of them following me around if that means you’re healthy and safe! I don’t want to see you get injured because of me, or worse, killed!”

They stare at each other in eerie silence until Minjun finally finds it in him to say what needs to be said. “Junho, that’s true that my guards are very good, and I hate to admit this, but don’t try to fool yourself even for a second that someone who is paid to do their job would be better than me in this case. That’s simply impossible. You know why?” Junho doesn’t move, even though his eyes are burning. Even in this moment Junho looks so beautiful, the vivacious energy he has in him so bright. “Because it’s just a duty, it’s just a job for them. If it’s a life or death situation, they will always try to save themselves first. It’s just human nature. And for me…” Minjun gulps. “I will always put you first because I love you. I will do anything to keep us both alive and well because I want us to be together. No other guard has that motivation. No other guard will put in as much effort as me. So, no, don’t even entertain the idea of having someone else as your personal bodyguard because I won’t allow that. I’m staying with you no matter what.”

“You fucking dumbass,” Junho sniffs and pulls Minjun into a tight embrace. “Will it take another assault for you to tell me you love me?” he mumbles into Minjun’s hair.

“I hope not.” Minjun pulls back a little and places a soft kiss on his lover’s lips. “Come on, we have to move.”

Junho nods as they intertwine their fingers and start walking deeper into the woods. While they’re at it, Minjun checks his phone and notices there’s no reception. Same with Junho’s phone. That’s probably the reason the Serpent chose to attack in this area.

Minjun had his worries about attending the wedding, but he didn’t want to tell Junho, hoping his bad premonition would turn out to be just that. He had hoped nobody would get a whiff about them attending the party, but you can never know who works for the Serpent. If only he would have shared his concerns with Junho, maybe they could have avoided this. But he wanted Junho to feel relaxed, to enjoy something heart-warming and fun. If they get out of this forest in one piece, since humans are not the only threat, he will be more vocal about his suspicions.

It’s a little past 3 am when Minjun decides they are far enough. It’s still raining, although not as bad as before. Minjun leads the way to a very old, large tree with thick leaves; the area under it appears to be dry enough to spend a few hours to get some rest.

Minjun sits down on the ground, his back against the tree trunk, and he motions for Junho to settle down against his chest between his legs. Junho does so, pressing into the older man’s torso as Minjun hugs his waist, placing his cheek against the right side of Junho’s head.

The engineer touches Minjun’s hands clasped on his stomach. “What do you think happened to Joon and Seungho?” Junho asks.

“I think... I think they’re dead...” Minjun’s voice cracks and he tilts his head back, staring at the dark curtain of wet leaves. It hurts to think that, but he’s a realist. They must’ve been ambushed, and they’re probably dead. He closes his eyes, trying to hold his feelings in. They were really good guys; he trained them himself, taught them everything. How the hell is he going to face their parents?

Junho shifts in his arms to face Minjun and pulls him close, cradling the bodyguard’s face into the crook of his neck. This small but significant action forces tears out of Minjun’s eyes and he sobs quietly, circling his arms tighter around Junho as the latter stays on his knees, comforting him through touch. This man is like a healing potion in the shape of a human. He’s capable of unleashing emotions in Minjun; sometimes it’s scary, but sometimes like now, it’s liberating.

Minjun calms down after a little while and leans back slightly, allowing Junho to wipe his wet face. “I don’t want to lose you,” Junho says, caressing Minjun’s cheek, the engineer’s eyes soaked with melancholy.

“You won’t lose me.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

They kiss for some time, sharing their feelings through this intimacy, and when they’re done, Junho shifts back to their previous position, being the small spoon. He pulls out the photo taken by Fei and they both stare at it, trying to absorb the heart-warming mood from it. However, there’s also another bothersome thought fleeting across Minjun’s mind: it could have been their first and last photo together. Only by sheer luck they’re here, under this tree, alive. Minjun will make sure it stays that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some serious things went down, huh? how did this chapter make you feel? let me know~


	19. The Key

There’s light tapping on his shoulder and Junho opens his eyes, taking in the early morning light. It’s not raining anymore, still a little cloudy, occasional sun rays hitting the ground and the trees. Junho stretches his neck upwards a little, his head propped against Minjun’s chest and arm, cradled there comfortably. Minjun woke him up, so Junho wonders if there’s anything wrong and is about to ask when Minjun puts his index finger to his own lips and then points it ahead.

Junho looks in that direction and sees a stag around 40 metres away from them, calmly devouring leaves on a bush. Huge antlers decorate the animal’s head, giving him a majestic appearance. It looks serene as it’s unaware of the two humans watching it. The animal seems to be completely harmless and peaceful.

They gaze at it in silence, admiring the beauty of the wild creature. Junho never thought he’d be in such a contradictory situation: enjoying this captivating and oddly calming scene while lying against his injured lover’s body. They are kind of like wild animals, too, forced to run away from their hunters and fend for themselves in this wilderness.

Junho moves up, and the sound of foliage rustling beneath him is enough for the deer to notice them. The animal glances in their direction and abandons the bush immediately, bounding away into the forest. “Didn’t think it would have such great hearing,” Junho notes, turning around to face Minjun.

“Not only that, they have a strong sense of smell, too. Had the wind been coming from a different direction, the deer would’ve smelled us immediately,” the bodyguard explains, the purple bruise on his cheek more visible in daylight. He looks tired; did he get to close his eyes at all? Junho glances at his phone and sees it’s almost 7 am. He didn’t get much sleep either, but still probably more than the bodyguard.

“Have you slept at all?” He touches Minjun’s hand.

“Maybe for an hour or so. I couldn’t fall asleep.”

“Couldn’t or didn’t want to?” Junho frowns a little when Minjun glances at their fingers intertwined, a pensive smile on his face.

“Both, I guess. I still had to be alert in case, you know… they catch up.”

Junho sighs. “You should’ve awakened me earlier, so you wouldn’t be alone watching the surroundings.”

“No, it’s okay. I had a lot on my mind.” Minjun purses his lips, still looking away. He must be still thinking about Joon and Seungho; the thought clutches Junho’s heart. He knows the weight of loss.

Junho leans forward and cups Minjun’s jaw with his other hand. “I’m sorry. I know how hard it is to lose someone. Maybe they’re alive...” he says, knowing it’s kind of naive to expect that, but maybe having a tiny bit of hope would work in this situation. Minjun knits his eyebrows, sharing a sympathetic expression with Junho; Minjun probably doesn’t have any hope left but he doesn’t object to Junho’s amiable idea. Having the Serpent as the enemy brings nothing but sorrow.

Junho closes the gap and kisses Minjun’s lips softly, comforting him for a few moments until Minjun pulls back. “I don’t think they’re following us anymore, but we should get going. Just to be safe.”

“Okay. How’s your forearm?” Junho eyes the dried blood on Minjun’s clothes and skin.

“Sore, but it’s fine. Don’t worry. I’ve been through much worse.” He smiles a little at Junho, reassuring him.

“Let’s go, then.” They get up and start walking further away from the tree that shielded them from rain for a few hours.

Nonetheless, Junho cannot help but wonder what would have happened had they stayed at the villa overnight. Would the Serpent have attacked them there? The thought makes Junho shudder, thinking of all the casualties that might have happened had he chosen to not go home. Losing Joon and Seungho is bad enough; they were really nice to Junho. Yet imagining the wedding celebration ending brutally is enough to make him shake his head to get rid of the disturbing images in his mind.

Junho feels relatively fortunate — as fortunate as one can get while being pursued by this secretive criminal organisation. All things considered, he’s still alive. That should make him feel better, right? However, he feels guilty even though he knows Kwon would be against this thought. They have talked a lot about this, about Junho feeling guilty when something that should bother only him affects other people. Junho shouldn’t feel guilty; he’s the victim. His father started something he wasn’t able to finish, and as a consequence, Junho got involved in it, too. So, even though Junho knows it’s not his fault, his empathy tries to screw with him sometimes.

They’ve been walking for about two hours when Minjun notices a clearing and a mass of rocks a bit further ahead, the sound of a river coming from behind them. He glances at Junho. “Are you as parched as I am?”

“Please, take me there; I’m so thirsty.” Junho groans, salivating at the thought of fresh water.

Minjun leads the way and they carefully walk around the rocks until they find a decent climbing path towards the grassy riverbank. The river itself is not that wide, but the current seems to be strong, water splashing over the huge boulders peeking from the surface.

Junho immediately goes down on his knees and leans forward, dipping his hands into the water. It’s pretty cold but it feels just right. Junho washes his face and notices Minjun doing the same nearby, both of them drinking it seconds later. It feels refreshing, and Junho would probably try to swim if the river current weren’t this powerful, so he instead keeps drinking the water until he’s satisfied.

When he’s done, he notices the spot where Minjun was is empty. Junho stands up and turns around, seeing the bodyguard sitting on the rock, his jacket and gun holster beside him as the older man takes off his dress shirt and rips off the partially bloody sleeve. He then removes the handkerchief Junho gave him and goes back to the river to wet the ripped sleeve and clean his arm as carefully as possible. “I believe this is not the first time you’ve had to tend to your injuries away from civilization?” Junho asks, folding his arms.

Minjun stands up and walks back to the rock, sitting down and ripping off the other sleeve, sun kissing his bronze skin. “No, we’ve had a lot of missions where going to the hospital wasn’t an option. But at least we had first-aid med kits.” Minjun smiles, reminiscing, trying to wrap the cloth around his forearm.

“Hold on.” Junho hurries to him and wraps the poor imitation of a bandage around the bodyguard’s forearm. The bite looks pretty nasty. “I hope the dog didn’t have rabies.”

“Yeah. It’s my first time shooting a dog, too. I hated it.” Minjun sighs as Junho finishes with the cloth.

“Well, it was my first time knocking someone out with a stone, too.” Junho smirks, remembering how good it felt to hit at least one of these fuckers. Although he was frightened when he saw the assailant punch Minjun, he took action and grabbed the rock without a second thought.

Minjun looks up at him, Junho noticing a couple of bruises on the older man’s naked torso. He really does bruise easily. “You did well, though. Much better than I thought you would,” Minjun praises him with a tiny smile.

“Yeah, imagine me freezing on the spot.” He snorts. “Next time they attack us, I’ll just grab one of your guns and shoot them all.” He attempts to joke, but judging from Minjun’s blank expression, he’s not having it.

“Don’t. It’s my job.”

“Minjun…” They stare at each other, something melancholic in Minjun’s eyes. Junho wants to comfort him until his face turns bright again. Sure, it’s not been that long since the attack, and he can’t expect Minjun to get back to normal so quickly, especially when he hasn’t had a proper rest and is exhausted; his mind must be so heavy with the thoughts of losing two men. However, if there’s anything Junho can do, it’s to offer some comfort.

Junho straddles Minjun’s thighs, sitting in his lap and facing the bodyguard, the latter placing his palms on Junho’s hips automatically. Minjun’s eyes look lost for a bit until Junho brushes his fingers against the bruised cheek softly, the other hand slipping into Minjun’s messy hair and pushing the strands back, halting at the back of his head.

The hand slips from Minjun’s cheek to his neck, where Junho holds onto the hot flesh gently. His lips find Minjun’s forehead and land there, lingering for a bit while a thought runs through his mind, hearing his lover sigh. Minjun is like a key to his life: if Junho loses it, the lock wouldn’t be able to function properly anymore. So much depends on Minjun. “You saved my life twice now,” Junho whispers and leans back a little to look at Minjun’s opaque orbs. “Let’s hope there won’t be a third because I’m indebted to you for more than one lifetime.”

“It’s okay, that means we will be connected in our future lives.” Minjun’s smile is slightly playful, his words making Junho snort lightly.

“You can be so damn corny.”

“No, it’s called being romantic. Just get used to it. Being with me means you’ll have to deal with that a lot.”

“Sounds awful,” the engineer jokes, and Minjun smiles back at him warmly, making the younger man melt. Junho hugs his neck, feeling Minjun’s arms wrap around his waist, their embrace tight and snug. Staying like this together is fulfilling. Junho almost doesn’t want to leave this tranquil place.

They stay like that for a while, hugging, listening to the water and wind swaying the trees. He feels Minjun’s arms around his waist relax a little, nose pressed to Junho’s neck. Junho’s a workaholic: he always needs to do something, a million thoughts running across his analytical brain, but being with Minjun allows him to simply enjoy doing nothing; if he’s with him, Junho can easily immerse himself in the quiet moment without anything else occupying his mind, only the man with him.

Suddenly, Minjun’s stomach rumbles and Junho chuckles, pulling away, hands on the bodyguard’s shoulders. “You should’ve shot that deer and cooked us a delicacy, wild outdoors’ style.”

“I don’t plan on staying in the wilderness for that long. I think we should head down the mountain following the riverbank; it might lead us to civilization eventually.” Minjun pecks Junho’s lips briefly. “I think a search party should be on the way, too. So...” He slaps Junho’s butt lightly.

“Okay, got the hint,” Junho abandons Minjun’s lap and watches the latter pick up the now sleeveless dress shirt and button it up. Minjun seems to be not as tense, so Junho decides to lift the mood even more. “You should stay half-naked, what’s the point in wearing that shirt?” Minjun raises his eyebrow, putting the holster over his shoulders. “Wear just the holster. It would look so hot,” he says grinning, and Minjun gives him a sceptical glance.

“Junho, this is the wrong time and place to live out your dirty fantasies.” Minjun pulls the jacket on, the corner of his lip twitching a little. “Just move your ass,” he says, walking past Junho, slapping his butt with more force this time.

“Anything for you, babe,” Junho replies, noticing a smile spread on his lover’s face.

Good. His distraction was successful.

 

+

 

Junho is starving. It’s around midday when they reach a small valley with a meadow full of colourful wildflowers. It looks straight out of a travel guide. The clouds are almost gone, and it’s quite hot, too. At least a river is nearby to quench their thirst. Both of them have wrapped their jackets around their hips unbuttoned their shirts a bit.

“Feels like I’m in a walking simulator but there are no trophies for my achievements,” Junho says, wiping his sweaty forehead.

“Look at the bright side: you’re in nature, not hunched up by your computer screen.” Minjun half-smiles.

“While I do enjoy the scenery here, I’d rather do it with proper gear on. These shoes are starting to really screw with my feet.” Junho exhales, glancing at the low heels of the fancy dress shoes. They were never meant for hiking.

Minjun stops. “Do you want to take a break? My feet feel crappy, too.”

“I guess we could.” Junho notices Minjun narrow his eyes and stare at something behind Junho. Then, he hears an odd sound approaching them. Junho turns around. “That’s a helicopter,” he concludes, seeing the flying shape heading towards them. “Do you think they’re looking for us?”

“Most likely. I just hope it’s not the Serpent,” Minjun admits, walking up to Junho.

“So, what should we do?” They look at each other.

“We’re in a valley, there’s nowhere to hide. Obviously, they must have some sort of a thermal camera because they’re flying in our direction, which means they’ve noticed us. I think it’s the rescuers. Stay close to me, just in case.” Minjun moves to shield Junho with his body, the latter staring over Minjun’s shoulder to watch the helicopter about to land nearby. There’s an unpleasant feeling in his stomach since he doesn’t know what to expect.

The aircraft lands slowly, making them both cover their eyes as the wind created by the propellers hits them with full force. The speed of rotating blades decreases quickly and the door opens, a man dressed in a black t-shirt and navy jeans exiting the helicopter. It’s Wooyoung.

“Thank fucking god,” Junho sighs, both of them going to meet the detective halfway.

Wooyoung looks relieved to see them, although there’s concern on his face when his eyes land on Minjun’s injured forearm. “I’m so happy to see you both alive!” he exclaims and pulls them both into quick bro hugs. “I have so many questions. What’s with your arm?”

“I was attacked by a dog.” Wooyoung nods and leans forward to look at the bruise on Minjun’s cheek.

“Got punched?”

“Yeah.”

“What about you? Any injuries?” Wooyoung scans Junho’s body.

“No, I’m fine.” Junho smiles and Wooyoung replicates the action.

“Shit, I was so worried. I got the call early in the morning. Went to the crime scene and saw no bodies, just blood and bullets. The mysterious assault is all over the fucking news.”

“Wait, no bodies?” Minjun asks, confused.

“Yeah, the Serpent picked up their dead.”

“What about Joon and Seungho? They were following behind us; I don’t know what happened to them. Are they alive?” Junho notices the smallest ray of hope in Minjun’s eyes as he stares at the detective expectantly.

Wooyoung frowns and touches Minjun’s arm. “I’m sorry. They’re dead.” Minjun looks down, covering his eyes with one hand. His shoulders look extremely heavy all of a sudden.

“How?” he asks, quietly. Junho’s heart aches to see him struggling with his feelings.

“It seems like another car hit them, which forced them into a ditch. They hit some trees, but we think they were still alive when the car stopped; unfortunately, seems like someone approached them while they were in the vehicle and shot them.” Minjun nods, still covering his face with one hand. Wooyoung gazes at him with sympathy, and Junho cannot stop himself from circling one arm around Minjun’s shoulders, giving him a squeeze, attempting to console him even just a little bit.

“It’s not much of a consolation and a morbid thing to say, but at least they didn’t suffer. The Serpent likes to torture people sometimes,” Wooyoung says.

“Yeah.” Minjun licks his lips and uncovers his face, rubbing the skin under his eyes quickly. Junho lets go of him.

“I’m really sorry, Minjun.” Wooyoung squeezes the bodyguard’s arm and the latter just nods silently. “Come on, we need to go to the hospital and treat your wounds.”

 

+

 

They land on the rooftop of the hospital, back to civilization. Junho somewhat misses the mountains and the serenity that nature provided. It’s hectic here, a nurse leads them to a separate procedure room through busy corridors — Jackson and a couple of guards already waiting by the door. He hugs Minjun immediately, whispering something into his ear, and the later nods a couple of times, saying something back Junho can’t hear.

“Junho,” Jackson walks to him, “you’re not injured, are you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief,” Jackson sighs, letting them pass to the procedure room. “I’ll leave you both for a while because, as you can imagine, there’s a lot to deal with, so don’t worry about anything.” He gazes at Minjun sympathetically. “I’m going to meet the parents now.”

“Okay,” Minjun replies and his business partner pats his shoulder, leaving the trio in the procedure room, two guards outside the door. The doctor comes in soon after, joining the nurse.

They check Minjun’s face and arm, draw some of his blood to run a few tests and take care of the dog bite, also giving the bodyguard a rabies shot just in case. They check on Junho and conclude he’s perfectly fine. All they have to do is wait for the blood test results to come in, so Wooyoung uses this chance to get their statements.

There’s not much to tell, however; Minjun notes that it looked like the attackers seemed to miss their vital points on purpose, which intrigued Wooyoung.

“So, they wanted you both alive. What could be the reason? Something must have changed.”

“I don’t know, maybe they want to screw with Junho while torturing me or something. I have no clue what’s in their heads. The more I think about it, the more confused I get,” Minjun says, sitting on the bed. Junho is standing nearby, leaning on the armrest. What a perplexing situation they’re in.

“Yeah…” Wooyoung scratches his head, tapping his foot lightly, looking at Junho. “You know, I can tell you now that Mr. Park isn’t a part of the Serpent. I’ll be focusing on Chansung from now on.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Junho snorts. Jinyoung might be a bitter man, but at least he’s not the enemy. “I’m so tired of this guessing game.” He exhales heavily, staring through the window.

Just then the door opens and he sees Minjun’s parents, their worried eyes landing on their son immediately. The bodyguard looks quite rough; standing nearby, Junho doesn’t exactly look like a man from a magazine cover either, both of them tired and unkempt. Wooyoung quickly says his goodbyes to them and leaves the room, shutting the door.

“My dearest son,” Minjun’s mom says tearfully as she hugs him, and his father wrapping them both in his protective embrace. “We were worried sick about you,” she mumbles into his shoulder.

“I told her you’d be fine.” Mr. Kim tries to soothe his wife, and Junho almost tears up at the view.

“I’m okay, just a dog bite and that’s it,” Minjun assures them, pulling away.

“But your cheek,” she protests, touching his skin gently.

Minjun takes her hand in his. “It’s nothing. I’ve looked worse when I was a kid.” He smiles to soothe her and it seems to work.

As if she’s awakened from her motherly stupor, Mrs. Kim suddenly looks at Junho and moves over to him, cupping his face. “Oh, are you all right? I’m sorry for focusing only on Minjun.”

“He’s your son, of course you’d care about him the most.” Junho smiles, letting her smooth his shirt over his shoulders. “I’m fine, Minjun took good care of me. I’m sorry for making you worry about him.”

“What are you talking about? The only ones who should be sorry for what they did are those Serpent bastards,” Minjun’s dad says, determined, and squeezes Junho’s shoulder for a moment. “We’re just glad both of you got out of that situation alive. I knew my son wouldn’t let anything bad happen to either of you.”

Junho glances away briefly, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the attention from Minjun’s parents. “He fought them with all of his strength,” Junho says and looks at the elderly couple, both of them smiling at him softly.

“He had someone worth fighting for,” Mr. Kim says, making Junho feel all embarrassed in a matter of milliseconds. So that’s where the corny comes from, huh?

“I’m still here, you know,” Minjun sighs and stands up. Junho doesn’t know where to look, so he glances at his feet and sees a hand slipping into his, making him look at Minjun, who so casually decided to hold hands with him in front of his parents. Junho stares at him, puzzled. “We should probably just get this over with; I can’t stand them being so damn hopeful and expectant.” Minjun looks like he’s so done with this unwanted attention from his parents.

Meanwhile, the elderly pair is grinning playfully. “It’s exactly what you think it is,” Minjun’s hold around Junho’s hand gets tighter. “Just please, don’t talk about it. I’m sure you know why.”

“Yes, we know,” his father assures them with an understanding smile. “We’re just happy for you.”

“Okay, thanks, but can we drop the subject now.” Minjun sits back on the bed, rubbing his neck. He’s really shy admitting it to his parents. Junho grins a little, watching his lover ignore the satisfied looks from Mr. and Mrs. Kim.

Minjun’s mom hugs Junho and whispers into his ear, _‘welcome to the family’_. And he can barely hold his joy in, so he just hugs back, expressing his gratitude with a quiet _‘thank you’_. A better time will come to talk more about this.

They chat for a little while until the nurse comes back with the bodyguard’s blood test results. She informs him there’s nothing to worry about and that they can leave now.

They meet Jackson in the hallway, and Minjun’s parents bid everyone a farewell now that their hearts have been put at ease after seeing their son alive and well.

“Everything’s good?” Jackson asks Minjun.

“Yeah.”

“They’re here, behind the vending machine,” Jackson says, and Junho doesn’t understand what he’s talking about. “I told them you had no other chance to see them due to the contract, so they seemed to be understanding in that respect and agreed to see you here.” Wait, shit. Is he talking about Joon and Seungho’s parents? Minjun’s about to face four grieving people?

Junho suddenly pulls Minjun aside and whispers, “Are you sure you want to do this now?”

“They were already at the hospital in the morgue. Besides, I didn’t want to wait any longer. I need to get this off my chest.” Minjun takes a step back in full composure. “Just wait here with Jackson. I’ll be back.”

“Ugh… Okay.” Junho would love to send him off with a hug; however, it’s out of the question in public.

He joins Jackson, and the pair watches Minjun make his way towards the four people waiting in the hallway. He can’t hear anything, but the expressions on their faces while Minjun talks to them look heartbreaking. Sorrow unites them, and when Minjun bows deeply, one of the women pulls him into a hug, crying in his arms. It’s a relief to see they’re not shouting at him, blaming him for what happened to their children.

“I didn’t want him to do this. I told him that me apologising alone should be okay,” Jackson says.

“Why did you agree in the end?”

“Because I know him. He prefers to face a challenge head on instead of avoiding it and letting it eat him alive.”

“Yeah, that’s him…” Junho agrees. That’s also what happened back in the procedure room. It’s probably better this way, to let it all out. Talking about some things shouldn’t be postponed sometimes.

They keep watching Minjun and the parents in silence, their conversation taking a bit longer than Junho had anticipated. It should mean it’s going relatively well, right?

After a while Minjun returns to them, his neutral expression not saying much. “How did it go?” Jackson inquires as soon as the bodyguard stops before them.

“They’re heartbroken, of course, but they told me it’s not my fault; they understand the situation although it’s very painful to deal with everything. I assured them we would take care of the funeral and all the expenses.”

“Yeah, they seemed to appreciate that offer.” Jackson nods. “You must be starving and exhausted.”

Minjun exhales, rubbing the sleeve of his jacket. “Yeah, we both are.”

“I can imagine. I got you a temporary vehicle; it’s not as good the Range Rover, but it should do the job until I get a new one.”

“Which one are you giving me now?”

“Audi A8.” Jackson gives the keys to Minjun. “Hey, let the guards tag along for the drive. You’re too tired for this.” Minjun smiles briefly and nods. “Call me tomorrow and let me know how you’re doing. Get some proper rest.” He glances at Junho, “You too. Take care.” The engineer nods.

“Thanks for everything. Bye.” Minjun waves at Jackson, and as the latter takes off, the bodyguard talks to the pair of new guards while making their way outside. He gives the car key to one of them and lets them show the way to the parking lot.

As soon as they exit the building, they’re surrounded by reporters, activating Junho’s irritation. He just wants to go home, eat, and sleep. Fuck these people for getting in their faces. They scream random questions at Junho, trying to get some scoop regarding the assault, but Minjun and the other two guards are pretty good at keeping them at bay.

“Mr. Lee, what would you tell the Serpent leaders if you could?” Junho stops. He should be quiet, he knows, but he wants to say something because he knows whoever is behind this criminal organisation will surely hear about this. Everyone keeps quiet, waiting for his answer.

“You reap what you sow. I’ll make sure the deaths of my father and guards won’t be in vain. That’s all.”

Junho hurriedly walks away, ignoring all the commotion surrounding him. They reach the parking lot and he can breathe easier here, no shouting journalists following anymore. He sits on the backseat and Minjun joins him there, while the guards take their seats in front. “What you said might provoke them,” Minjun notes calmly, staring at Junho.

“Good. Let the snakes leave their nest and expose themselves,” Junho huffs. Fuck them. He’s tired.

 

+

 

Junho has never been happier to see his house. He opens the door and finds Wolie running to him, crying. “Oh crap, you must be hungry, too.” Junho scoops her in his arms and kisses her while walking to the kitchen. Amidst all of the unpleasant events, he forgot about his cat. He feels slightly ashamed.

While he takes care of her food, Minjun digs in into whatever is edible in the refrigerator. No plates, nothing. He eats something straight out of the container using a spoon. It must be the leftover curry Junho made two days ago. “I’m not sure if it’s still edible.”

“It’s perfect,” Minjun says with a full mouth. Junho thinks the hunger must be lowering his standards but doesn’t voice out his concerns. The fact that Minjun eats it without reheating speaks volumes about how he doesn’t give a fuck about anything right now.

When Junho’s done with providing Wolie with food, he finds the ingredients for a sandwich and makes himself a really huge one while Minjun finds a new target, a carrot cake. He’s completely unfazed, eating with a blank stare. It’s almost like he’s eating while sleeping with his eyes open.

He finishes quickly and downs everything with a tall glass of water. “I’m gonna take a shower and go to sleep,” Minjun says lazily.

“Okay.” Junho is almost done with his food, watching his lover disappear behind the corner to walk upstairs. The engineer glances at Wolie, the cat leaving the kitchen as well. That makes him feel a little lonely.

 

+

 

Junho follows the path of scattered clothes towards the bathroom, the sound of rushing water becoming louder as he rapidly undresses himself to join Minjun in the shower. He sees a still figure leaning with one arm on the wall behind the steamy glass door. He must be having deep thoughts while letting the water soothe his skin.

Junho slips past the door, making Minjun glance back at him. “I thought I’d help you rub your back.”

“Good Samaritan with an ulterior motive,” Minjun smirks and returns his gaze to the wall. Junho bites on his lower lip, pressing himself against Minjun’s back, hugging his waist. “This is the lamest excuse ever, but I’m tired, Junho. I can’t give you anything in return.”

“Such an old man,” he teases, kissing his neck.

“Fuck off,” Minjun snorts. “I’m young. We’re only two years apart.” Junho chuckles.

“Hey, you don’t have to return the favour. I just want to make you feel good.”

“Your presence is enough,” Minjun says, running a hand through his drenched hair. “I really appreciate the thought, though. Thank you.”

Junho makes him turn around, Minjun’s expression slightly apathetic. The engineer sighs, cupping the bodyguard’s face in his wet palms. “How are you? I mean, honestly.” His hands slide to Minjun’s hips while looking intently at him.

Minjun licks his lips. “Sad, disappointed, tired.” His reply is laconic yet very informative. “You are the one who should be shaken, but I’m a mess this time,” the bodyguard smiles thoughtfully.

“You lost two men. I lost nothing — thanks to you, by the way.”

“Only because they weren’t aiming at our vital points. Who knows what the outcome would have been if they had different orders.” He’s unexpectedly blunt, probably caused by his exhaustion.

“What if it’s all in your head? Maybe their aim really was shit?” Junho tries to reason.

Minjun stares at him in silence, frowning a little. “Maybe. But the ones that got to us were really good in close-range combat. I don’t know. But we can’t rule out anything.” He exhales, troubled.

Junho steps closer, caressing Minjun’s neck gently while the latter leans against the tiled wall. “Overthinking won’t help. Just go to sleep, babe. It will be better tomorrow. Or eventually.”

Minjun nods and smooches Junho’s lips. “Clean bandages are still in this bathroom?”

“Yeah. In the drawer under the sink.”

The bodyguard exits the shower, so Junho quickly washes himself while Minjun brushes his teeth, looking for the medical supply box. Before they got together, no, before he stopped being a dick to Minjun, he always saw him as this stoic, strong man and nothing else. He still has those traits, but now Junho gets to see his vulnerable side, too. Knowing Minjun trusts him enough to let Junho see him like this is as intimate as it can get. He was there for Junho when his father died, saw Junho at his worst, and simply cared for him. Junho is going to do the same for him.

Junho wraps a towel around his hips, walking closer to Minjun who’s applying an ointment to his wounds to prevent infection. “Let me help you with that.” Junho closes the tube and takes the bandage, wrapping it around the older man’s injured forearm.

“Thanks.” Minjun pecks his cheek. “I’m going to sleep.”

“Okay, I’ll brush my teeth and join you soon.” Junho watches the bodyguard walk away, wearing one of the engineer’s towels around his hips as well.

He brushes his teeth thoroughly, events of the past 24 hours rushing through his slightly chaotic mind. What a wild progression: from being happy, to scared, to exhausted. It must be much worse for Minjun due to the loss and the fact he had to fight all these men for the sake of Junho. It still amazes him how calculated and composed Minjun can be in a stressful situation. Even though he must have been worried about Joon and Seungho, he didn’t let those concerns cloud his judgment or affect the _save-Junho_ mission. He really is like a robot programmed to do a task when necessary. If Junho didn’t know any better, he’d suspect Minjun to be a state-of-the-art android. However, the way he is when they’re alone is so different and endearing, and simply human.

Junho enters the bedroom and drops the towel on the floor, slipping into the bed naked. Minjun seems to be already asleep, lying on his right side, his bare back to Junho with the duvet covering only his lower half. The engineer leans on one arm to look at Minjun’s profile, thinking they’re so lucky they can be here, in this bed, tonight.

He bends down and kisses Minjun’s bruised cheek gently, pulling the duvet over their naked bodies. Junho assumes his position as the big spoon for the night, holding Minjun tight around his waist, the latter moving a little, getting more comfortable against his lover in his half-asleep state. There’s pure love emerging from the depths of Junho’s body as he presses his face to the back of Minjun’s head, inhaling his alluring scent.

This, right here, is Heaven on Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think about this chapter? What did you like the most? Please leave me a comment, even one word is fine lol just don't be a silent reader :')


	20. Ghosts

Junho is half-awake lying on his stomach when he hears his phone ring, so he grabs the phone and sees Nichkhun’s name on the screen, realising they haven’t talked since the wedding. Junho moves a little so he’s resting on his left side, Minjun asleep behind him.

“Hey, Khun.”

“I was hoping you’d call me first,” Khun’s tone understandably feels slightly reprimanding; his friend was worried.

“Are you sulking? You must’ve seen the news. I’m fine.” Junho tries to sound light-hearted.

“Yes, and still, I’ve been waiting for your call. I didn’t want to interrupt you, but it’s already past 10 am and no word from you. I’m kind of angry, you know.”

The engineer sighs. “Sorry, it’s just I really had no time and I was exhausted. I’m still in bed, by the way.” It’s quiet for a little while on the other end of the line.

“Okay. Sorry for waking you...” Nichkhun’s voice reflects guilt.

“No, it’s fine, I was almost about to about to get up anyway.”

“When I heard the news, I was so scared… Junho, you are so lucky to have such a capable bodyguard beside you. I want to build him a temple or something.” Junho chuckles.

“You’re not the only one. Anyway, we’re good. Thanks for calling me.”

“You’re like a brother to me,” Khun confesses softly and Junho smiles.

“Same.”

“See you at work tomorrow?”

“Yeah, see you.” Junho puts the phone down on the nightstand and feels movement behind him.

Minjun presses to his back, hugging the younger man’s waist as he kisses Junho’s shoulder. “A temple for me, huh?” Junho feels a hard body part against his butt, realising Minjun is in a certain mood. He smirks slightly to himself.

“Khun can build you a temple, but I can find other ways to worship you.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

Junho turns around in Minjun’s arms to face him. “Like a handjob.”

“Sounds good to me,” Minjun says as kisses Junho, the latter rolling on top of him, his hand sliding across the older man’s chest and abs, the other one fishing a bottle of lube from beneath a pillow. They don’t bother putting it in the drawer anymore, taking full advantage of sharing one bed.

Junho starts stroking him slowly at first, then he increases speed, attentively watching Minjun’s face, his own right above him. He loves how Minjun licks his lips, his breathing becoming faster. When Minjun covers his eyes with the back of his hand, Junho takes that hand in his so he can observe the changes in his lover’s face.

“Voyeur,” Minjun teases, grinning a little.

“It’d be a sin to miss the moment you explode in my palm.” Junho leans down and kisses Minjun, squeezing him harder, feeling the bodyguard’s thighs press against his hips with more force as he finally comes all over his stomach and chest, his mouth wide open, head tilted back, and eyes closed when a moan escapes his throat.

“Fuck,” Minjun heaves and Junho leans to place a soft kiss on his exposed neck. His own erection is starting to be unbearable, but then Minjun sits up, making Junho sit in his lap, knees pressed to the mattress beside Minjun’s hips.

The bodyguard also coats his fingers with lube and Junho leans back on his arms, biting on his lower lip and staring right at the narrowed sultry eyes in front of him. That slight grin turns the younger man on even more as Minjun wraps both hands around Junho’s cock. Immediately, his head falls back with the overwhelming pleasure because Minjun doesn’t waste any time with his precise and quick movements. His magical fingers stroke him with such sweet power that Junho comes unexpectedly fast.

“Damn it, you’re way too quick,” says Junho, surprised.

“Was it bad?” Minjun asks, pulling Junho by his neck to peck his lips.

“No, just…overwhelming. I wanted to enjoy this more.” He smiles softly and Minjun nods.

“I was under the impression you wanted it quick.”

“Did I look that desperate?” Junho chuckles.

“You always look desperate.” Minjun receives a punch to his shoulder.

“Fuck off.” Junho takes the towel off the floor and cleans himself, then throws the cloth at Minjun. “Shower with me?”

“Nah, I’ll lie here a little longer.” Minjun finishes cleaning and falls on his stomach, pulling the duvet to his shoulders. Junho grows invisible devil horns as he jumps on top of Minjun and bites his ear, making the latter yelp. “What was that for?!” He turns his head to Junho, frowning.

“A sign of my affection. Hey, you told me something very touching while in the forest. I’d like to hear it again.” Minjun groans and buries his face into the pillow.

“I love you.” His voice is muffled and Junho laughs, kissing the back of Minjun’s neck.

“I love you, too, bodyguard.” Junho plants a kiss on Minjun’s head and leaves him in tranquillity, heading for the shower.

Minjun seems to be back to normal, Junho thinks as he rinses his body. Junho himself strangely feels like the assault happened years ago. He never thought he’d be able to develop his inner strength to this extent and yet here he is, kind of indifferent. It’s just tiring to be this aware of everything, so something within himself was bound to change.

He puts on a robe and walks to the closet, glancing at Minjun talking on his phone, most likely with Jackson. He seemed very concerned yesterday and rightfully so: Minjun isn’t just a business partner, he’s a friend. Junho slips into black boxer briefs and grabs a pair of grey shorts, pulling them on swiftly. He starts looking for a t-shirt when his eyes notice a box peeking from a drawer. Shit, he completely forgot about the wedding photos. Curiosity rises in him and Junho grabs the box, sitting down in lotus pose on the carpeted floor. He places the box before him and exhales. He can do this now. It’s okay.

It’s not just the wedding photos; there are more candid moments from his parents’ lives. He has never seen these pictures before, so it makes his heart ache a little, witnessing the memories his father had decided to keep from him. He sees so much of himself in his mother.

He exhales, almost done with the photos, when he notices a dark brown envelope at the bottom. There’s nothing written on it, but he can feel something inside. Junho opens the envelope and takes out a small photo. It’s a smiling baby facing the camera from a cradle, but it’s not Junho. He frowns with confusion trying to figure out who this baby is. Then, he flips the photo and sees neat handwriting.

_This is your son you abandoned. I’m giving this to you so you can always feel shame for making that decision. Look at his face and remember the child you chose to abandon. Too bad he will never know what it feels like to have a father._

_Meilin_

Junho’s breath hitches, processing the information. He stares at the baby, then back at the words, everything eventually blurring in his vision as he gazes at nothing in particular, overwhelmed by emotions.

It seems that his father had child with another woman and he left them.

Junho leans back against the drawer, rubbing his face absent-mindedly. Somewhere in this world, a man is his half-brother. An unpleasant shiver runs down his spine, still having problems coping with this shocking realisation. Did his mother know? Was his father unfaithful? Or did it happen before Mr. Lee met his wife? What is the truth?

Junho is completely lost in time, and only when Minjun enters the closet fully dressed, does the engineer assume an hour must have passed since he had entered the closet. Minjun looks at him, a crease of worry on his forehead. He glances at the photos in the box, then at Junho’s fingers holding the most important piece of a puzzle.

“Are you okay? What’s happening?” Minjun kneels beside him, touching Junho’s shoulder.

“Father had another child.” Junho gives the photo to his lover and the latter inspects it carefully, a surprised expression filling his face. He looks back at Junho with serious concern.

“What are you going to do about this?”

“I can’t ask a dead person the details, obviously…” Junho sighs, then he remembers something. “What if Jinyoung knows something?” Junho perks up, leaning forward. Minjun cocks his eyebrow. “I know he’s been working with my father since the early days; he was an intern at dad’s company. If there’s anyone who might know something, it would be him. If not… I guess I may never learn the truth…”

“Do you want to go visit him?” Minjun asks and Junho nods, putting the photo back into the envelope.

“Let’s eat first and then I’ll call him; he’s currently on vacation.”

“Okay.” Minjun helps him up.

“This is fucking crazy. Starting my morning with this type of revelation… I wasn’t ready for this.” Junho leans his forehead against Minjun’s shoulder and the bodyguard hugs him, giving him much-needed support.

“No one can be prepared for something like this. I hope Jinyoung will shine some light on the situation.” Minjun caresses Junho’s hair with one hand as the younger man mumbles in agreement, pressing closer to his lover. Seeing Jinyoung will be weird, especially after how he talked shit about Minjun and made Junho doubt his loyalty. He would rather avoid the man, but he has no choice this time. He needs to get answers.

+

Jinyoung was surprised to get a call from Junho on his vacation, but he didn’t object to meeting, so now Junho stands before the lawyer’s house with Minjun beside him. He brushes his fingers against the brown envelope in his jacket pocket, a tiny bit nervous.

Jinyoung opens the door and leads them to the living room. The house is rather modern, not exactly what Junho had expected. For some reason, he was thinking it would have an old, traditional Korean vibe. He sits down on the white leather sofa as the older man takes his place on Junho’s left, making himself comfortable in an armchair.

“It’s good to see you’re doing well. Everyone was worried when we heard the news.” Jinyoung appears to be sincere, leaning forward with fingers intertwined.

“Thanks. Although it was Minjun who took all the damage, which makes me want to ask you why you tried to make me doubt my bodyguard’s loyalty that time?” Junho jabs bluntly, Mr. Park seemingly uncomfortable because Minjun is in the same room with them, standing right behind his client.

“I… I was hurt… I was affected by your father’s death and as you can imagine, I can hardly trust people either. I guess I took it all out on you and your bodyguard, which was very immature of me and I’m very sorry for that. I thought I didn’t deserve to be put to the side-lines when I’ve spent all of my life working beside your father, so watching a young woman take such an important place in the company… My ego was hurt.”

“Do you still think Sunmi doesn’t deserve that position?”

Jinyoung smiles. “No. She’s doing great. You chose wisely. But you didn’t come here because of that, did you?”

“No…” Junho sighs and pulls the envelope from his pocket. He places it on the glass table. “When exactly did you start working for my father?”

Jinyoung narrows his eyes. “When I was 20. Started with an internship.”

“I hope you can help me with something. You’ve known my dad for a very long time. Something tells me you should know something about this,” Junho glances at the envelope and motions for the older man to take it.  
Mr. Park takes out the photo and sighs, staring at it. Junho’s heart flutters because it looks like he recognises the picture. Jinyoung puts the photo back on the table, leaning back in his armchair. “I was hoping he destroyed it and I wouldn’t have to talk about this; alas, here we are.”

“You knew about this and never told me I have a half-brother?” Junho feels anger simmering in his blood.

“It’s complicated, Junho… Your father made some terrible choices and didn’t want you to know about them. It’s not my secret, so I couldn’t go around talking about it. However, he once told me that if you ever come to me and ask about it, I should tell you the truth because he didn’t have the courage to confess to you. I mean, your relationship wasn’t that great to begin with and telling you that secret would have definitely made it even worse.”

“So, it’s okay to tarnish his image after his death…” Junho huffs. “Great. Just what I needed.”

“Hear me out. I will tell you everything I know, and then it’s up to you to decide what to do with that knowledge.”

Junho exhales heavily, “Fine.”

“It happened when I was doing my internship. I found your father drinking in his office, and it was clear he was burdened by something, so I thought I’d ask him because our relationship was pretty good at the time. Also, maybe the fact he was under influence made him more talkative. He told me that he got a woman pregnant a few years ago, way before he met your mother. He said he never wanted her to have the child because she was a prostitute and his parents were firmly against that. The photo you brought here,” Jinyoung glances at the envelope on the table, “Meilin sent to him when the baby was born in hopes of making him reconsider things. However, it was impossible because she was half-Chinese and half-Korean; politics between the countries were quite tense at the time and your grandparents were strictly anti-Chinese. So, a prostitute with Chinese blood was a huge shame in their eyes.”

“Anyway, the night I found him drinking, he was supposed to meet her at a local bar, but he didn’t want to and he didn’t know what to do. Until I came in.” Jinyoung licks his lips briefly before continuing. “He asked me to go there and give her the photo back, including a hefty amount of money to keep her mouth shut because your mother was already six months pregnant. He didn’t want her to find out about his past mistake. So, seeing how miserable he was, I agreed to be the messenger and cut all ties with her in his place. Mind you, he had never heard from her since he received the photo. He thought she wanted to destroy his current happy life.”

“When I went to the bar, I immediately knew it was her because she didn’t look like she belonged there. Her outfit was modest, her demeanour nervous as she drummed the table with her fingers. When I approached her, she looked expectant, but then I saw confusion on her face followed by understanding. It’s like she knew he wouldn’t come. I told her I’m just a messenger, but we started talking and I heard more of her side, which made me feel sorry for her. She really was in love with your father, and because of that love, she didn’t bother him. All she wanted that evening was to try and see him again for the sake of their son, who wanted to meet his dad. She did it for their child.”

“I gave her the envelope with the photo and money, but she refused to take it, saying she didn’t come here for this. She was insulted that your father thought she wanted to blackmail him, she didn’t even know he was married. Meilin stood up and went for the exit, but her way out was blocked by a couple of gang members, so I went to her aid. A couple of my course-mates were also at the bar, so they jumped in to help me, and by the time police came, she was gone. That was the first and the last time I saw Meilin.”

So, that was the incognito woman from the police report. Junho leans back, rubbing his face briefly. “Do you know her full name or her son’s name?”

“No, nothing. Your father told me to keep my mouth shut about this, and that’s what I did.”

“He made a good choice with whom to entrust his biggest secret…” Junho stares at his fingers in his lap, trying hard to remain objective. “I want to find them.”

“I don’t think you can… There’s very little information to go by.” Jinyoung notes.

“I can still try.”

“That you can do.” The older man smiles a little. “Are you going to ask Wooyoung for help?”

“Yes.”

“Then you might find something.” Junho looks at him, hopeful. What a tough Monday.

+

The police station buzzes with action, officers stealing glances at Junho and Minjun. Their faces have been plastered all over the news sites. Everywhere they go, they’re in the spotlight. Junho would love to go back to the mountains, preferably in a cosy cabin with Minjun, making love to him in a bed barely fitting two people. Now, he has to ask Khun for help at work while Junho’s away dealing with his own personal issues.

Wooyoung meets them halfway and takes the duo to his office. Junho can tell he has eclectic taste because some decorations in his office look kind of odd compared with the rest of the police station. It gives a certain charm though, and definitely suits Wooyoung because he always has a strange aura around him; he often comes off as hard to figure out, but pleasant and cheerful nonetheless.

Wooyoung smiles, showing them to the seats in front of his table and taking a seat on the leather chair across. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you’d take a day off after what happened.”

“I thought I’d do that, too, but something came up that I want to talk to you about. I know it’s not related to the case, but I don’t know who else could help me with this very personal issue.”

“Okay, I’m all ears.” He leans forward, arms on the table. Junho puts the envelope down and motions for Wooyoung to look at its contents. Wooyoung frowns, staring at the photo, reading the words. “Wow. Is this your father’s child?” Junho nods. “Did you know about this?”

“No, I found out only today. I went to Jinyoung to ask him if he knows any details and he did. Dad met Meilin way before my mom. Knocked her up, then disowned them both and went on with his life. Until she showed up when my mom was pregnant with me. Jinyoung went in his place to give her money and return the photo, but she refused. That was the last time he saw her.”

“So, I assume you want me to find them?”

“If it’s not too much to ask… I know you’re already helping me with the Serpent, but I feel like I need to try to find them.”

Wooyoung leans back in his chair, staring at the photo, thinking deeply. Junho gets anxious because it feels like the detective is going to refuse to help him.

“It will be tough, but I can help you. At least I can try. Something also tells me this could be important.”

“How?”

“What if ghosts of the past have decided to chase your family?”

Junho blinks. He didn’t think of that. He gulps. “Do you think she hired the Serpent to make my family’s life hell?”

“Could be. Could not be. I’m just thinking out loud.”

“Fuck…” Junho exhales. “I hope you’re wrong because the way Jinyoung described her, she didn’t seem to be that type of person.”

“Who knows? What do you think?” Wooyoung looks at Minjun, who has been quiet for the entire time. His eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“I mean… It sounds pretty reasonable. _Maybe_ this war is personal. I don’t know.” Minjun shrugs.

“Anything that could be a motive is a solid reason to dig deeper. Maybe you found this not by accident, rather by, what should I call it…fate?” Wooyoung frowns a little. “But we all could be wrong, too. I will look into this.”  
“Thank you, you’re a great help,” Junho says.

“No problem. I planted the bug at Chansung’s office an hour ago. With any luck, it will lead us somewhere.”

“Yeah, thanks again for everything. You’re the best.” Junho smiles and Wooyoung returns the gesture.

“Do you mind if I take a picture of the photo and the text?”

“Go ahead.” While Wooyoung takes photos, Junho stands with Minjun, ready to head out and leave the detective in peace to work on the case.

“Here,” Wooyoung returns the envelope with the photo in it. Now everything is in the detective’s hands.

+

They’re driving by the river, a car with two guards following behind, when Junho cannot contain his thoughts anymore and asks Minjun to stop the vehicle. He jumps out of it and hurries towards the riverbank, early evening mist covering the other side of the wide body of water. Such a chilly and foggy day is quite unusual this time of year. It’s getting dark, only adding to the mysterious mood: everything is grey and slightly blue.

Junho grabs a bunch of pebbles and starts throwing them into the water, trying to collect his wild thoughts. It’s not easy.

“Wanna talk about it?” Minjun asks in a serene tone, just like he always does when he feels Junho’s on edge.

“It’s…” Junho huffs and throws the rest of the pebbles into river all at once. “I fucking cannot believe this. All this time... I’ve been living in a lie… What else do I not know? Are there more secrets I’m not supposed to know? I feel hurt and betrayed.” He exhales and squats down, holding onto the sides of his head. “And he isn’t even here to defend himself… To explain more thoroughly… Fuck.”

Minjun comes closer, the hems of his black jacket slightly flapping in the wind. “All you can do at this point is accept it. There’s nothing else you can do.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, but it’s so damn hard.”

“Do you think it was easy for him to hide this from you and your mother?”

Junho looks up at him, slightly perplexed. “No…”

“I don’t want to defend him, but I think it’s worth considering that what he was doing he may have thought was for the sake of your family. Ignorance is bliss, you know. We all make mistakes. We make tough choices. You can’t possibly imagine what it was like for him because you weren’t in his shoes. Times were also different, back then. You have the right to feel betrayed and hurt, I get it. Just don’t let it all consume you. Ultimately, I don’t think his purpose was to hurt you. He also must have been scared. We’re not perfectly programmed machines,” Minjun says, warmly smiling at him, and Junho glances back at the river, taking in his words. He’s right, even though the old man made some questionable choices, his purpose wasn’t to hurt him, even though other people were hurt in the process.

“He didn’t see anything bad with hurting Meilin and his own son. That’s what fucks me up the most. He chose to leave them, but he chose to love his other son, me. I could’ve been that poor child. I just can’t help but feel sympathetic. It was so cruel of him.”

“It was. I’m not denying that,” Minjun agrees. “Do you think there could have been a better choice? From what I gather, his parents had a huge say in this. He may have felt immense pressure.”

“Yeah… Maybe they even told him they’d cut off all of his finances since they were all about public appearances, being rich and pompous people. Hell knows. He's not here to answer any of those questions. Fuck.” Junho stands up. “Thanks for sticking with me when I’m such a mess.” He can see Minjun smile a little in the dim evening light, only the headlights from the road interrupting occasionally.

Minjun touches his shoulder. “Hey, we care for each other.” He leans over and whispers into Junho’s ear, “That’s what boyfriends do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUN! How was that plot twist for you? Please don't forget to leave a comment, they're my food ;~;


	21. Closure

“Did you know that a Sonoran Coral Snake, instead of hissing or rattling, farts when threatened?” Junho asks, sipping on his iced coffee.

Minjun snorts. “What a fascinating fact. How did you even find it?” Junho smirks a little, watching the crowd passing by the Ministry of National Defence. It’s hot but cloudy with a light breeze.

“Nichkhun sent me the link to the article, saying that maybe we could unveil the Serpent members by their fart smell.”

Minjun shakes his head, chuckling at the questionable humour. “Nichkhun’s dad jokes are going a little overboard.”

Junho grins. “And still, you laughed.”

“Yeah, because it’s absurd.”

“You looked amused.”

“It wasn’t funny though.”

“Deep inside, you enjoyed that joke.”

“No.” Minjun stares at him, slightly annoyed by Junho’s perseverance. “Are you done with your drink?”

“We still have a few minutes before the meeting.” Minjun nods and Junho looks back at the people passing by, looking sharp and formal. Junho himself is wearing a suit today (Minjun taught him how to tie a tie, finally) because he’s about to land a very important contract with the Ministry of National Defence. He has a meeting with a representative to discuss the possibility of DSMN Robotics providing the military with high-tech drones for various rescue missions.

Some time has passed since he learned about his half-brother. Questions haunt him as various scenarios play out in his head. Would his brother be happy to meet Junho? Does he even know Junho exists? Is he in this country? Wooyoung is still looking for information, but so far, nothing useful has come up. 

However, there is something going on with Chansung. Wooyoung has figured out he uses coded speech sometimes, calling some people by an alias to hide their identity, as well as plans related to those individuals. So, that allowed Wooyoung to assume Chansung and people he works with might be aware they are being spied on. That supposition is definitely slippery, and the detective has a hard time figuring out what is what and who is whom. Nevertheless, it feels like the tail of a snake might be hiding just around the corner. Wooyoung told Junho that he feels he is on the right track this time.

Junho is done drinking and turns on his heel to enter the grand white and grey-coloured building. It’s busy inside and people here seem to be like cogs in a massive machine. They approach the information desk and Junho is told that he should go to room number 125. The walk there is quite long.

“Have you been here before?” Junho asks as they move forward.

“Of course. As special unit members, we had some business to do here.”

“Do you miss it? Your previous job, I mean.” Minjun smiles reminiscing.

“In a way. Mostly, no. It was really hard. However, I liked the thrill of it, the thought of doing the right thing for the country; our squad was great. With time, all of the positive traits turned to something negative. I’ve already told you about it.” Junho nods with a soft smile. He knows very well what Minjun went through.

“But if you were a writer, we wouldn’t have met,” Junho notes. A playful, barely visible grin paints the bodyguard’s face.

“Who knows? If we are meant to be, maybe we would have met in different circumstances.” Minjun winks.

“Like what?”

“Hmm… Like on a jog in the forest. We’d pass each other occasionally and you’d approach me someday with a corny pick up line, like _‘I’m lost. Can you give me directions to your heart?’_ ”

Junho starts laughing and has to force himself to calm down, covering his mouth because he’s receiving weird looks from strangers. “You dumbass, you’re so cheesy that you have no right to call Nichkhun out for the terrible jokes,” Junho says, his eyes forming the shape of half-moons when he smiles. Minjun just grins briefly.

They reach the room and Junho enters first, seeing a tall man in a uniform rising from his seat. He has a bunch of medals on his chest, showing his status. He appears to be confident until he glances over Junho’s shoulder and licks his lips nervously. “It’s nice to see you, Minjun,” he says in a low voice, and Junho is a bit confused. He glances back and sees Minjun stare at the man, his face perfectly still but his eyes holding something painful behind them. Junho frowns.

“Taecyeon,” Minjun replies, and Junho feels anger, jealousy, hurt, and all these other conflicting emotions turn into an internal storm. He moves before he can even think if it’s really a good idea, and Taecyeon is shocked when Junho suddenly kicks him right in the balls, making the tall man hold onto his groin while falling to the floor in a foetal pose, groaning in pain.

“Junho!” Minjun immediately catches his boyfriend by the shoulders and pulls him away from the man suffering below, while the fallen one is probably calculating the probability of having children ever again. “What the hell are you doing?!” Minjun is dissatisfied to say the least.

“What that dickhead deserves! Looking at you with his innocent eyes when he did all of that despicable shit to you, hurt you, and never owned up to it. I fucking hate his guts!” he declares.

“Are you really that dense? You shouldn't have done this!” It’s quiet in the room, Junho finally realising what he has done, and Taecyeon’s quiet look of recognition coming from below only confirms how much the engineer has fucked up.

“So, you two are together…” Taecyeon’s deduction knocks the wind out of Junho.

Oh fuck. He knows. This bastard out of all people knows about their relationship. Junho’s mouth is dry.

“Should we kill him?” he asks absent-mindedly, a guilty half-smile on his face, and Minjun just glares at him, eyes narrowing.

“Do you think we’re in a goddamn comedy right now?” The bodyguard sighs almost painfully, rubbing his temples.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think we should talk. After that, you can decide if you still want to kill me or not.” Taecyeon stands up, holding onto the table, clearly still in pain but doing his best to hide it.

Minjun stares at him for a while and then nods. Taecyeon takes a seat across from them, maybe for his own safety. Junho and Minjun settle down on the opposite side of the wooden table. 

Junho has to admit that bastard is really handsome—no wonder the bodyguard fell for him. Junho’s insecurities start growing, seeing how different their visuals are. How did Minjun go from Taecyeon to Junho? He looks like an action movie star. Junho knows he’s good looking, but this guy is astonishing with a powerful aura and charisma, everyone would feel inferior near him. What a lucky son of a bitch.

“Don’t tell me you’re the one I have to discuss the drone project with,” Junho grumbles, leaning back into the armchair.

“No, I knew you were coming, so I asked my colleague to let me have a couple of minutes to talk to Minjun in private, but now that you’re both here and I know you’re together, I guess you can listen, too.” He planned this. What the hell does he want from Minjun? Junho suddenly feels fearful. What if Taecyeon wants to get back with him? Junho clenches his fist tighter.

“Spill it and get done with it. Also, I’d like to ask you to keep your mouth shut about our relationship,” Minjun says coldly and Junho glances at him, relieved he doesn’t look as angry as before, not at Junho at least.

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“How can we trust a jerk like you…” Junho mumbles and Taecyeon has the audacity to snort, smiling a little.

“It’s actually a relief to see you have someone who cares about you so much,” Taecyeon says to Minjun. “I’m happy for you.” Both of them raise their eyebrows.

“You? Happy for me?” Minjun sneers.

“Believe it or not, I’m a changed man now.”

“Really, unbelievable… Did you get a massive concussion and see the light?” Minjun asks, extracting a chuckle from the taller man.

“Your sense of humour is still crisp.” He leans forward on the table. “I fell in love,” he explains briefly.

“Who’s the unlucky woman?” Minjun inquires, scratching his chin. “Or a man, maybe…”

“No, it’s a woman.”

“As expected.”

“Minjun.” Taecyeon’s expression is serious. The bodyguard and his snarky answers probably don’t make it any easier for Taecyeon to talk about whatever he wants to talk about, but Junho doesn’t have any compassion for him. He just feels for Minjun and, obviously, the wounds have just reopened. “Let me talk, please.”

“ _Please_ , he says… Maybe you really have changed.” Minjun composes himself and exhales. “Fine, talk.”

“I didn’t have the courage to approach you after the almost fatal accident. I was the one who asked you to go on that mission. I felt so much guilt I couldn’t even think about talking to you. It’s probably a lame excuse, but that’s how I felt back then. I asked around about your condition, and when I heard relatively good news, I was relieved. I thought I’d just end our relationship quietly, but I didn’t think it’d hurt you so much. Now, seeing your reaction, I realise I was wrong.”

“During those years, I kept thinking about you and how things went down between us but didn’t do anything to improve myself as a person. Until I met my wife. See, she’s much smarter than me, and she made me work on myself because she didn’t want to be with someone so selfish and insensitive, but she saw right through me; she knew there was something good hidden deep inside. Damn, just to get her on a proper date took me almost a year of sincere hard work and therapy. I never knew I’d be going to therapy, you know? But she told me if I really want to be with her, I would have to change. So I did. Yubin made me into a different person. Someone she can be proud of and not because of my military awards.

When I saw the recent articles and noticed you in the photos, I knew I had to approach you and apologise properly.” 

Taecyeon stands up, walks over to Minjun and bows deeply, face close to his legs. “I’m very sorry for treating you the way I did. No human deserves to be disrespected and hurt so much. I wish I could do something to take back that time, but all I can offer you is this apology. Please, accept it.” He stays like this and Junho looks at Minjun, who is staring at Taecyeon with a deep crease between his eyebrows. Junho can tell Minjun is having a deep emotional conflict inside. Junho touches his hand, squeezing it lightly. It was a beautiful apology, but does Minjun have it in him to forgive?

Minjun clears his throat and rises to his feet. “Stand straight,” he commands and Taecyeon does so, towering over him. “I can accept your apology, but I’m still in the process of forgiving. What you did today gave me closure. Someday, I will be able to forgive you; however, today is not that day. You have to accept that.”

“Of course. Better late than never,” Taecyeon says, smiling softly, and offers his hand. Minjun glances at it and shakes it briefly.

“Are you still in the special squad?”

“No, I train higher level soldiers.”

“I see.”

“It’s better like that, I’m sure you can relate. Those special missions really drain a human being and leave them with a stone heart.”

“True,” Minjun answers with a half-smile.

“I’ll excuse myself now. The representative will be with you shortly.” He looks at Junho and the latter nods. “You have the best bodyguard, but I bet you already know that.”

“Damn straight. I wouldn’t be here without him.” Junho smiles automatically.

“I hope you don’t have to suffer the Serpent going after you any longer.”

“I wish. I just want it to end ASAP.”

“I can only imagine… I promise to keep your secret, don’t worry about that. Well then, you guys have a nice day.” They nod at each other and Taecyeon leaves the room.

“For a moment, I was worried he’d want to get back with you and maybe you’d want to because, you know, he’s annoyingly handsome...” Junho confesses and Minjun gives him a quizzical look.

“Lee Junho, do you think I’m that vain?”

“No.”

“Then don’t speak nonsense.” Minjun leans down, takes Junho chin between his fingers and kisses him briefly. “It was dumb, but that kick was beautiful.” Junho laughs.

 

+

 

Minjun is lying on the sofa, watching TV, but not really, more like just gazing blankly. He didn’t expect to meet Taecyeon today, or ever. Minjun thought he would have felt more, but there was just bitterness left. Junho has showed enough emotion for both of them. Sure, Minjun still feels angry, but not mad angry. Today, he understood that he can finally move on and release those deeply rooted emotions because he finally got what he wanted: closure.

There’s a sense of relief in him, knowing he wasn’t the only one who was plagued by what had happened between them. Of course, it still was Taecyeon’s fault for being an ass, and he had to deal with consequences of his actions too. Either way, this chapter of the bodyguard’s life is finally finished. Minjun will forgive him someday, he’s closer to it than ever. He can feel it.

Junho was weirdly quiet for the rest of the day, a little unusual, but Minjun thinks that’s kind of understandable in this type of situation: meeting the despicable ex who turned out to be a man seeking forgiveness. Minjun almost choked on air when Junho kicked Taecyeon, but in that moment, he also felt happiness because it showed how deeply and honestly Junho feels about him, albeit his impulsive nature could use a leash sometimes, but that’s what makes him so interesting.

His phone buzzes suddenly.

_Come upstairs_. A text from Junho. Minjun raises his eyebrow.

He stands up reluctantly, not knowing what to expect from this cryptic message. He is slightly worried Junho might be having second thoughts or something. Minjun fixes his black tank top as he walks upstairs, and when he opens the bedroom door, he is hit with a wave of warm scents and a dozen candles lit around the room. Junho is wearing a black silk robe, hands behind his back, shadows playing on his handsome face. Minjun closes the door behind him.

“Wow.”

“Come closer,” Junho says in a deep voice. Obviously, this isn’t going to be an unpleasant experience. Minjun relaxes, halting in front of Junho; the latter’s hair is a little damp and exudes the fresh scent of his peach shampoo. “I want to try something.”

“Yes?”

Junho lifts one arm and shows his palm to Minjun where a wide black ribbon is placed. “Can you blindfold me and fuck me in any way you want?” The older man gulps at the intriguing request.

“That’s… Unexpected.” 

Junho snorts at him. “So...?”

Minjun smiles and takes the ribbon. “So… Turn around, love,” he says gently and Junho obliges.

Minjun wraps the ribbon and tightens it around the younger man’s head. He then undresses himself quickly as Junho waits patiently for further instructions. There is something so alluring about Junho being so submissive. They don’t go all the way that often, but it’s definitely worth the wait.

Minjun circles his arms around Junho’s waist and sets him free of his robe, pressing to his lover from behind, fingers caressing Junho’s torso. One hand stays on the engineer’s stomach while the other travels to his neck and turns it sideways so they can kiss. Junho leans back into Minjun’s shoulder, responding to a slow kiss passionately.

They break free soon enough and Minjun spins Junho’s body around, making him sit on the edge of the bed. “Suck me,” he commands. Junho blindly touches his hips, his fingers trailing down the hot skin to Minjun’s groin and finding his erection, stroking it a couple of times before swallowing him fully.

Having Junho lick and suck his sensitive member while touching his balls is already blissful. When he thinks of fucking Junho, he gets even harder, moaning louder, enjoying his lover sucking him off skilfully.

“Enough,” Minjun heaves and Junho gives one last lick, a wicked grin on his face, probably imaging the older man’s face. He grabs lube and condoms quickly and goes back to his previous spot. “Get on all fours on the edge of the bed.” When Junho obliges, Minjun gets down on his knees, Junho’s puckered hole right in front, as he drips the liquid all over his fingers.

Soon, Minjun is flicking his tongue against the already slightly loosened rim, as Junho had prepared himself beforehand while in the shower. He hears sweet moans coming from the younger man when Minjun pushes a finger in, perfectly knowing where his prostate is located. If he wanted to, Minjun could make him come in just a few seconds, but he has other ideas on his mind.

Minjun adds more fingers, trying not to stimulate him too much, but Junho’s melodic moans are so wonderful to listen to. The bodyguard puts a condom on and generously coats his dick with lube, then stands up and slams his hips right into Junho’s, making the latter yelp in surprise as his erection fills Junho.

“You okay?” Minjun asks before moving.

“Yes, just fuck me.” Junho breathes out.

Minjun starts slowly at first, then quickens his pace, watching Junho grab onto the sheets, various dirty sounds probably teasing his hearing. Minjun slaps Junho’s butt, the latter moaning louder at that, not expressing any type discomfort; he must be fine with that.

He pulls out and Junho appears to be a little dissatisfied with the sudden loss, making Minjun smile to himself. He lies on his back and makes Junho get on top of him. “Ride me. I want to watch you enjoy this.” Junho’s hand guides his lover’s erection into himself, and places his palms on Minjun’s chest, starting to move slowly, mouth slightly open as he makes it sensual with his provocative movements, heavy breathing filling the room.

Junho leans back suddenly and changes the angle a bit, completely exposing himself, allowing Minjun see how his dick slips in and out of Junho, the younger man’s erection bouncing up and down, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. Minjun wraps his fingers around Junho’s cock and starts rubbing him, eliciting more moans from the man on top.

Unexpectedly, Minjun rolls them over, switching positions as he pulls out and looks at the excited lover below. He wants to tease Junho a little, so he starts licking the tip of Junho’s dick, watching his expressions change. Being between his legs when Junho is consumed by pleasure is magical as his love for the man burns vivaciously within him. He swallows the head and sucks the pulsing member languidly, Junho releasing more of those seductive moans.

“I’m gonna come if you keep doing this,” Junho breathes out a warning.

Minjun stops sucking and moves to Junho’s face, pushing his tongue inside Junho’s hot mouth, sharing a passionate wet kiss as the man below him hugs his neck. During the kiss, Minjun manages to enter Junho once again, slamming his hips against Junho’s sweaty body, making him whimper in surprise.

Minjun pulls away from Junho’s face, lifting the latter’s hips a little higher, and the engineer wraps his legs around the older man’s waist. The bodyguard is close, too, so he aims for the spot he knows will make Junho come, quickening his pace to reach his own climax. Minjun starts stroking Junho’s dick, stimulating his prostate at the same time, and Junho squeezes him with the ring muscle as he comes all over his own chest, moaning Minjun’s name out loud. Moments later, Minjun has an orgasm of his own and finishes by pounding hard into Junho, releasing a deep exhale. He collapses on Junho’s body, feeling the latter’s fingers slip into his hair.

“That was amazing,” Junho says and Minjun chuckles, rising a little to take the blindfold off Junho’s face. The younger man blinks a few times while his vision adjusts and smiles at his boyfriend. “You’re such a good lover, honestly.”

“Thanks.” He pecks Junho’s lips, feeling warm in the chest from the compliments. He grabs the towel and cleans them both until Junho suddenly tackles him, lying on top of the bodyguard, face pressed to his neck. Minjun touches Junho’s hair, combing it gently with his fingers.

“Any specific reason why you wanted to try the blindfold?”

It’s quiet for a bit and then Junho opens his mouth. “I just wanted you to know that I trust you completely.”

“Is it because of what happened today?”

“Maybe…”

Minjun kisses his hair. “I love you and I trust _you_. Don’t worry about my feelings. Taecyeon is in the past and you’re my future.”

“Fuck, you really have a way with words.” Junho nuzzles his face closer to Minjun’s neck and he can see how red Junho’s ears are. Minjun chuckles.

“Do you think he will really keep his word about keeping our relationship a secret?” There’s concern in Junho’s voice as he looks up at Minjun.

Taecyeon would usually be good with secrets, very discreet. Minjun has to trust his word, there’s just no other option. “I think he will.”

“Sorry for lashing out like that… I shouldn’t have done that. Now we have to rely on him.”

“What’s done is done. Don’t think about it too much. He seems to have changed, and keeping our relationship a secret should be an easy thing for him to do if he really wants to repent for his sins,” Minjun comforts Junho, hugging him.

Can he really trust Taecyeon, though? There’s a doubt lingering in his mind, but he has to push that away. Worrying over it will do no good. He hopes Taecyeon is truly a good man now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you expect them to meet Taecyeon? haha. NGL, the blindfold scene was most definitely inspired by Junho's Imagine concept. It's your fault, Lee Junho. Anyway, the ending is just around the corner... Prepare for it...


	22. The Serpent

The department is already empty for the day as Wooyoung walks down a corridor towards his office. He had been called out for a domestic violence case that ended in murder, so he had to drop everything and rush to the crime scene. However, the case that is more important to him is Junho and the Serpent. Months of tiptoeing through the evidence, digging for information and clues – not many people have the patience for a job like this, but to Wooyoung, it’s thrilling. He loves the intrigue of connecting the dots to see the full picture. Being a detective is like being an artist working on an unfinished canvas.

Just a little earlier, he had reached a major breakthrough regarding Junho’s request to find anything on Meilin, right before he was summoned to the murder scene. After lengthy research and tips from Park Jinyoung, Wooyoung got hold of a very old university hospital newsletter that had an article about premature birth and new technologies for it. There, he saw a photo of a woman standing in front of an incubator, looking at a tiny baby. The name of the woman was Meilin. The year of the newsletter was the same as the year she supposedly gave birth. So, Wooyoung has found the end of the string. Now, he must dig in deeper on this lead, but first there is something else he has to do.

He flops down in his chair and types in the computer login to check on the bug in Chansung’s office and review the footage he has missed. The detective fast-forwards, looking at Chansung working on his computer, and stops the video when someone enters the room. The camera is angled towards Chansung, so at first, Wooyoung cannot see who it is.

“My mom wanted to bring you her homemade cookies before she leaves for her trip.” A male chuckles, and when he steps closer to the table, Wooyoung can see it’s Jihoon.

“I’m honoured. You know how much I love them.” Chansung stands up from his seat and a woman enters the frame. He hugs her, seemingly quite familiar with her. She turns her head and Wooyoung finally sees her face, his breathing stopping for a brief moment. He glances at the photo on the table, then back at the computer screen.

It’s Meilin, that’s definitely her. Cogs turn fast in Wooyoung’s head, connecting the dots immediately: Meilin is Jihoon’s mother, which means he is Junho’s half-brother. Wooyoung leans back in his chair, covering his mouth, quite shocked at the revelation. He continues watching the video footage with even more curiosity.

Chansung exchanges a few pleasantries with Meilin, and then Jihoon speaks up. “I won’t see you to the door, mom. Is that okay? I have some urgent matters to discuss with Chansung.”

“Sure, son. Have a nice evening, you two.” She smiles and leaves the two men alone, closing the door behind her.

“We have to move tonight,” Jihoon commands with a determined look. Chansung seems to be a little puzzled.

“What’s with the haste? I thought we had more time to play with him.” Chansung sits on the edge of his table.

“My source told me the foxy one found a major piece of evidence and it’s only a matter of hours before he figures out who is who. I have no time to spare if I want justice served.” Wooyoung gulps. As he had thought, there _is_ a Serpent spy in the department and, unfortunately, he left this newsletter open on his desk. It was a careless move, but he didn’t have time to think back then as he had to hurry out. He had also suspected Jihoon of being a part of the Serpent for the longest time; he didn’t have any concrete evidence but his gut feeling was telling him Jihoon must have been behind it all. Now, it’s obvious he runs the Serpent, giving orders to Chansung. This makes sense.

“All right. When do we strike?”

“Around 10 pm. It’s now or never,” Jihoon says coldly and Chansung nods. “Get the men and prepare immediately.”

“Got it.” Chansung nods and leaves the room together with Jihoon.

Wooyoung glances at the clock on the wall.

_9:49 pm._

_Fuck._

He hopes he is not too late. He picks up his phone and dials Minjun’s number.

 

+

 

Wolie rubs her body against Minjun’s legs as he puts food in her bowl. She kept bugging him and Minjun finally got the hint. Junho is so much better at guessing what the cat wants, but he is in the shower right now, maybe already done washing up, so the bodyguard was the only food supplier in Wolie’s eyes.

She purrs while eating, and Minjun caresses her body a couple of times before standing up and putting the rest of the food back into the refrigerator. He is still in his suit, didn’t have the time to change yet because Junho was very keen on finishing this one project; they stayed at work till a little past 8 pm, so they got back home just 30 minutes ago and Minjun was ravenous.

Minjun sits back on a stool, stomach full, drinking a glass of water. It’s been about half a year since he has started working for Junho. Sometimes he wishes they could enjoy being with each other without Minjun having to worry about Junho’s wellbeing, but he tries not to immerse himself in these thoughts too much simply because, first and foremost, the engineer is his client who has to be protected at all costs. Pleasure must come after that.

He is so ridiculously in love with Junho, though. That genius bratty man always knows which buttons to push and when. There’s never a dull moment with him and Minjun enjoys every second of it, even though he might say the opposite at times. Loving Junho freely would be wonderful.

Suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted by his phone and Minjun narrows his eyes, seeing Wooyoung’s name on the screen. He picks up the call.

“Hey, Wooy-”

“Listen to me. Jihoon is the Serpent leader and they’re coming any second now. Prepare.” Wooyoung spits out quickly and Minjun feels a wave of adrenaline rush pass through him immediately, his soldier side awakening.

“Got it.”

Minjun jumps off the stool and runs to the door to warn the security guards outside, his brain preoccupied with how fast they can escape from the house in case they still have a few minutes to spare.

He runs outside but doesn’t see anyone securing the area, and the realisation that there are no security guards crushes him, thinking the worst: he is too late. Minjun turns around slowly and sees a bunch of masked men blocking the entrance to the house, a couple of them running inside, most likely looking for Junho. Minjun is consumed by concern over his lover’s life and he’s about to reach for his gun, but a familiar voice stops him.

“Don’t. I would hate to kill you right now. Not yet.” Jihoon steps out removing his mask, a smirk on his face. He has outsmarted Minjun and his guards. Just where the hell are they? Has the Serpent already killed them and hidden the bodies? Minjun grits his teeth.

The bodyguard lifts his hands in the air, giving up. He is outnumbered, he has no cover, and the men that came inside have probably already found Junho. Two men come right behind him and take his guns, leaving the bodyguard with no weapons. Minjun knows he has no advantages and that thought pierces through his mind, completely aware that everything is in Jihoon’s control now. At least he never gave in into Jihoon’s seduction, something telling him it is not a good idea to associate himself with this man. Minjun’s gut feeling was right: that man is nothing but trouble.

“Take him inside,” Jihoon commands, and the men grab him by the arms and push him towards the staircase. There, kneeling on his knees, he sees Junho in his pyjama shorts. The look on his face is one of disbelief and concern, a hint of relief is there as well once he finds Minjun’s eyes. It hurts the bodyguard’s heart to see him so vulnerable like this, yet still worrying about the bodyguard.

The men make him kneel beside Junho and a small accidental brush of their arms seems to electrify Minjun’s body. This might be the last time they touch each other. Just half an hour ago they kissed before Junho went to the shower; the sensation from the passionate kiss still lingers on his lips. He glances at Junho; the latter’s hair is still damp. The engineer, however, is staring right at Jihoon.

Jihoon squats before Junho to look at him on the same eye level. “Hello, my dear half-brother.” Minjun sees a shocked expression on Junho’s face, blinking rapidly in disbelief. Jihoon grins. “Yes, we have the same father. Or had, to be precise.” He snorts at Junho’s pained expression.

“Why are you doing this? What is this?” Junho asks, his voice surprisingly stable and calm.

“Ah, you want some answers. Okay, I can give you some since you’re going to die soon anyway,” Minjun’s heart beats faster. “See, my mom had to endure so much because our father wouldn’t admit he had a son. To him, my mom was just a whore and I…well, I was nothing. And yet, he chose to take care of another son: you. I was thinking why would he reject us? Why was I not enough but you are? Growing up, I started to hate him. I’d read articles about how well his company is doing. The older I got, the more I felt like he needs to pay for what he had done to us. Or didn’t do.”

“Mom raised me all by herself until she met a powerful man 8 years ago and married him. He died 4 years ago and left his business to me since I put a lot of effort into my education. See, initially, he was the leader of the Serpent and I inherited that title from him.”

“With all this power, I knew what I had to do: I wanted to take my revenge, especially because our father started digging into the Serpent’s business, and I saw that as a sign, you know? Killing him was quite easy, although I’m sad I didn’t see him die. But at least I’ll see your death.” Jihoon grins maliciously.

“While I can somewhat understand why you hate our father, I cannot understand why I have to suffer as well. What have I ever done to you?” Junho asks, a deep crease between his eyebrows. He’s genuinely hurt, Minjun can feel it.

“You had his love. I didn’t. You’re a reminder I will never be good enough for him, and I don’t need that reminder breathing the same air as I do.”

“Does your mother know you’re doing this?” Minjun asks, making Jihoon stare at him coldly. The Serpent leader stands up, taking a few steps back.

“It’s none of her business. She doesn’t need to know what I do as the head of the Serpent. I provide her with the best life possible and that’s it.”

“Do you think she would approve of what you’re doing here?” Minjun pushes more, looking at Jihoon’s stone-like face.

“Don’t try to appeal to my conscience by talking about my mom.” Jihoon crosses his arms on his chest. “Actually, it kind of pains me to see you here. I really liked you back then. Maybe I should keep you as a pet.” He smirks, making the hair on Minjun’s body stand up. That fucking creep. “I’m sure someone else would be happy to see you alive as well. Bring him here,” Jihoon orders, and the men push someone inside the house.

Minjun stares at the man approaching and he wants to throw up: it’s Jackson, a guilty expression on his face. “What the fuck is this supposed to mean?” Minjun hisses.

Jihoon hangs his arm around Jackson’s shoulders, the latter looking very uncomfortable, not daring to look at Minjun’s eyes. “The deal was you wouldn’t hurt him,” Jackson says quietly and Jihoon laughs.

“So I can keep him as a pet, then?” He raises his eyebrows and Jackson looks down, saying nothing. What in the world…

“Jackson, what the fuck is this? How the hell did you find yourself in this situation?”

Jackson keeps quiet and Jihoon slaps his back lightly. “See, Jackson here owes me a lot of money. Did you know he loves to gamble? He kept it from you. But you know, he actually recovered and doesn’t gamble anymore. Truly, a miracle. And still, he owes me a shit ton of money; he invested part of it in your company, too. I asked him to be my spy and in return, he wouldn’t have to return the money. That’s how I got him on a leash.” He chuckles hauntingly. Minjun feels his blood boil. Betrayed by a friend. That’s just unimaginable. They have a business together for fuck’s sake. “I see you don’t like that. Well, Jackson was very useful. He helped us with the guards tonight, too. I mean, getting rid of them quietly because they trusted him. We have a couple of bodies in your backyard.”

Minjun just cannot believe what he’s hearing. It’s just too much to comprehend. Judging by the devastating look on Junho’s face, he’s struggling, too. They are in so much shit and there’s no ladder. Jackson is the reason they have been attacked before, feeding Jihoon vital information. Minjun’s heart is shattering slowly, the unfortunate news sinking in.

“You don’t have to do this,” Junho speaks up, voice pleading. “Just leave now and I won’t report you. We can bury this hammer of war. Ever since I learned about having a brother, I’ve wanted to meet him. We can still change things between us. It’s up to you...”

“Yeah, it is up to me, and I despise you. It took so much to me to get where I am now, and you had it all served on a platter. You had a father.”

“But I didn’t have a mother. Never had the chance to even see her. We all have regrets and unfortunate things happen to us, but we cannot let them define us,” Junho counters calmly.

Jihoon sighs. “Little Junho, it’s too late for us to play family. I cannot look at your face without seeing him. I’m done.” Jihoon takes a gun and points it at Junho’s chest and Minjun panics inwardly, so scared the love of his life is about to be killed and he cannot do anything to prevent that. He failed so badly at his job. Why? He had only one job and instead he’s there, on his knees, completely powerless. Being a human is tougher than it seems. How he wishes he could turn into a robot and walk past the bullets unharmed, but it’s impossible. This is real. “I hope you rot in hell together with him.” Jihoon undoes the safety and Minjun does the only thing he can think of: he shields Junho’s body with his own as the bullet pierces his chest, falling on his back on the floor, immense pain making him groan.

He heaves, and far in the distance he can hear police sirens going off, noticing chaos erupting among the Serpent members. Jihoon has a hint of fluster on his face and that view is interrupted by Junho’s body, the latter pressing down on Minjun’s wound and shoulder, wearing a fearful expression.

Over Junho’s shoulder, Minjun sees Jihoon lift his gun again and point it at Junho, but he has no energy to shield him again. However, before the older brother can do anything, Jackson grabs the gun and shoots the stunned Serpent leader right in the face, his hands shaking, now covered in droplets of blood.

Minjun’s vision starts blurring, but he notices the men scattering out. He turns all of his focus back to Junho, alive and well. Minjun smiles.

“You’re okay,” he says, finally.

“What have you done?!” Junho screams, pushing on the wound harder to stop the bleeding. “You promised you won’t let me lose you. Did you forget?!” He presses his forehead to Minjun’s.

“I remember…” Minjun finds it hard to breathe and chokes. “I’m sorry but… I’m your bodyguard. I did what I had to do… That… Makes me happy…” The bodyguard confesses quietly.

“You idiot,” Junho chokes on his tears, kissing Minjun’s lips. Minjun blinks slowly. It’s so hard to keep his eyes open, he has no energy left. “Don’t you dare leave me… You promised me… You did…” It’s so painful to listen to Junho’s pleading voice, but Minjun cannot understand what’s happening anymore. He glances at Jackson standing back a bit, guilty and crushed, blood on his face, then he sees Wooyoung run into the building and Minjun knows all is well now.

He closes his eyes with Junho’s voice ringing in his ears.

_You promised me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, where your theories correct? what did you think about this chapter? let me know. also, the next chapter will be the last one.


	23. No Shadow

Sitting in a chair, he stares pensively at the wall across from him. He thought coming to work would take his mind off the fact that it’s been five days since Minjun was shot and he hasn’t regained consciousness. But at least stable. Waiting is the hardest part and the unknown eats Junho alive. Will he wake up? Will his condition get worse? No one knows. He was shot terribly close to his heart. Junho doesn’t know if he should consider it luck or not, because the injury is still very complicated.

Going to the hospital is a very blurry memory. Junho remembers Minjun’s blood on his hands, and his serene face as if he weren’t on the brink of death. Was Minjun dreaming? If so, was it something nice? Or was he seeing the infamous tunnel with the light at the end of it? Junho can only guess.

During the bodyguard’s surgery, Nichkhun showed up and gave Junho his support. That’s when Junho confessed about their relationship because he couldn’t hide his emotions and concern from his friend. Nichkhun was understanding as always. Junho also told him he doesn’t want to go back to that house, which now reeks of death and betrayal; he could only imagine how devastated Minjun must have been when he saw Jackson. Junho was also shocked. No one would have ever suspected him, yet there he was, looking lost and guilty. 

Right now, Jackson is waiting for his trial. Wooyoung told Junho that most likely Jackson will face many years in prison. Junho thinks seeing Minjun getting shot must have forced Jackson to attack Jihoon. Perhaps, despite being under the veil of betrayal, something deep inside enabled Jackson to do what was right, even if guilt made him do it. He wanted Minjun to live after all. In a way, Jackson was Jihoon’s victim as well because his gambling addiction was used against him.

However, the most crushing realisation was that Jihoon, in fact, was Junho’s half-brother and he wanted the engineer to die. Just how much hatred was in that man? Junho couldn’t see any compassion in his eyes; he was as cold as ice. Junho didn’t even have enough time to digest anything since everything happened so fast: Jihoon’s appearance, his confession, and the shooting - it was so surreal. Junho wanted to meet his half-brother but not like this. The moment he learned that the unwanted son was Jihoon, Junho knew his efforts to talk some sense into him were futile. That man was determined to destroy everything that their father had loved. Barging in into Junho’s house was an act of desperation, he now knows after talking to Wooyoung. He shudders remembering the visible aftermath in the house when he went to grab a few things and Wolie.

Junho has been staying at Nichkhun’s place for the past few days. He’s not going back to live in his house; he felt nauseous and dizzy there. Junho wants to sell the building and never see it again, but that’s not his main worry right now. His thoughts just keep spinning around his unconscious lover.

Khun’s voice interrupts his rumination and, though noticing a tinge of worry on Junho’s face, quietly announces, “There’s someone to see you…” But the way he says that makes Junho feel like the meeting might not be pleasant.

“Who?”

“... Meilin.” Junho blinks a few times, comprehending the name. She’s here.

“Let her in. I’m sure she’s not here to kill me,” Junho says in a mocking tone.

“The security guard checked her; she’s clean.” Nichkhun reassures him and Junho nods. Since Wooyoung caught all the Serpent perpetrators, including Jihoon’s right-hand man, Chansung, Junho feels pretty safe all by himself now. The man with the personal vendetta was now dead, so there was no reason to have guards around Junho anymore. However, for the time being, he decided to leave the security guard here at the company. It’s better that way.

Nichkhun brings her to Junho’s office and he glances at her long-sleeved black dress, reminding him that she is mourning her son. Junho doesn’t feel sorry, though.

She touches her chin-length hair and puts a strand behind her ear, seemingly quite troubled. “Sit down.” Junho motions to the seat across from him. Meilin complies and takes a few moments before finally looking at Junho’s face. There’s so much emotion behind her eyes.

“I never thought I’d see you in person…” she begins, her voice hushed but clear. “But I had to come and apologise.”

“Apologise?” Junho arches his eyebrow.

“I had no idea Jihoon was behind it all. I swear on my life, even though it’s worth nothing”; a barely visible, pensive smile appears on her face as she looks away. “My husband always kept me away from his business and I was never nosy about it. He loved me and Jihoon, and that was enough. He was good to us.

“When he died, he left the business to my son. Jihoon assured me everything would be fine and that I don’t have to worry about anything, so I didn’t. That was a mistake.” She pauses, seemingly searching for the right words. Meilin looks back at him.

“I’m sorry you lost your father. I’m sorry Jihoon made you suffer. I thought I was a good mother and raised my son well, but I failed myself and him. I can only hope that you can, or will, accept my apology someday. I’m very sorry and I will never bother you again.” She stands up, her eyes full of sorrow as she bows down for a couple of moments and then straightens her back. Junho feels pity in his chest.

“I’m sorry too, you know. Maybe if my father hadn’t abandoned you two, perhaps everything would be different. Poor decisions were made, and we are the ones who have to deal with the consequences,” Junho says and Meilin nods, her expression sympathetic.

“I hope we can move on peacefully.” She smiles sheepishly, lips pressed tight. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Junho replies and watches her leave until she disappears from his vision.

Talking to her felt so bizarre. Junho cannot hate her, especially when she seems so genuinely apologetic. She has also suffered a great deal and still does because of her son’s actions. Junho can’t help but admire her strength.

He sighs, rubbing his face. He wishes he could talk to Minjun; he’s such a good listener.

Junho wants to see him and can’t pretend that he’s not thinking about him. He stands up and walks over to Nichkhun, who gives him a concerned look. “You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah. Listen, I’m going to the hospital. I’ll be back at your place later in the evening.”

“Sure, good luck.” He smiles understandingly at Junho.

 

+

 

Junho parks his car nearby the hospital; such a weird experience to be driving his own vehicle now. He got so used to the driving routine with Minjun behind the wheel. There’s just so much missing in his daily life without him that it makes him feel lost. Minjun’s presence is gone and it only fuels his loneliness.

He doesn’t miss the curious looks from random people who clearly have watched the news and know all about his ordeal, though they don’t know that Minjun is his lover and Junho has a hard time while the bodyguard is fighting for his life.

Junho makes his way to the room where Minjun is attached to various equipment, measuring his vitals and whatnot. His parents will probably be there; they’re always with him whenever Junho comes by. They were the ones who suggested he try going back to work to occupy himself with other thoughts.

The engineer opens the door and stops in his tracks, staring at Minjun’s open eyes. He woke up.

He stands there in awe as silence fills the room, since whatever the bodyguard was talking to his parents about was interrupted by Junho’s appearance. Minjun’s dad whispers something to him and they stand up to leave the room, Mrs. Kim squeezing Junho’s shoulder. “He woke up an hour ago. The doctor said he is fine. We were just about to call you. Take your time.” She smiles and then leaves with her husband, closing the door.

Junho slowly moves over to the bed where Minjun is resting; their eyes are locked. Junho needs to touch him to make sure this isn’t a dream. He sits on the edge of the bed and reaches out his arms, one hand on the older man’s waist and the other near the bandage covering the wound on his bare chest. Junho knits his eyebrows as he leans in and presses his forehead against Minjun’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of his soft skin. He’s there, breathing, real.

He feels Minjun’s fingers comb through his hair as if calming him. “I kept my promise,” Minjun says, his beautiful voice filling Junho’s ears. God, it sounds even more beautiful than before.

“You have,” Junho replies, eyes wet. He leans back and lifts his right hand to Minjun’s face, caressing his jaw. “I’m so overwhelmed with joy.”

Minjun smiles warmly, touching Junho’s face to wipe away the tears. “Me too,” he confesses. “I saw you in my dreams, telling me to come back. So, I did.”

Warmth spreads in Junho’s chest and he leans in, kissing Minjun’s lips gently and lingering there for a bit to savour the feeling. He pulls back, taking Minjun’s hands into his, a serious expression on the engineer’s face. “Minjun, you cannot be a bodyguard anymore. I can’t stand the thought of you protecting someone else and possibly not coming back one day. I’m sure your parents can relate. I know you love your job but–”

“I know,” Minjun interrupts. “I’m all by myself at the company now, so I have no choice but to be a proper director. I won’t be a bodyguard anymore. I’m not a cat with nine lives; I’ve escaped death more than once and I’m not going to risk it anymore. For my parents. For you. For myself.”

“Good.” Junho squeezes Minjun’s hands briefly. He wants to share so much with Minjun, but for now he will just give him the recent news since it’s related to Jihoon. “Meilin came to visit me today.”

“She did?” Minjun looks surprised.

“Yeah, she apologised for everything Jihoon did. I also apologised for my father’s actions. I guess we parted ways peacefully.” Junho shrugs, looking away.

“That’s good, you can move on, I suppose.” Minjun agrees.

“It will take time,” Junho looks back at him. “I can’t return to my house, though. Not now, not in the future. I’m going to sell it.”

“Mom told me you’re staying at Khun’s.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to impose on him and Fei too much. Maybe I’ll rent something.”

“Rent?” Minjun chuckles lightly. “Did you forget I have an empty apartment, or do you want to run away from me?”

“Never,” Junho grins slightly. It’s so good to be able to talk to Minjun like this. Damn, he missed their casual conversations so much.

“So, come live with me. Wolie, too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, I love you and I want to be with you,” Minjun states with a soft smile, making butterflies swarm in Junho’s stomach.

“You won’t be able to get rid of me,” Junho warns.

“Do you remember what you told me on the first day we met?” Minjun asks, slight mischief behind his eyes. Junho arches his eyebrow.

“I told you many things…”

“You were pissed off by my presence and I asked what’s the problem? You said my face is the problem and you’d rather not see it.” Junho snorts.

“Oh, that.”

“Yeah. That.” Minjun touches Junho’s cheek. “Look at us now,” he whispers. 

Junho takes Minjun’s hand touching his cheek and kisses his knuckles, bringing himself closer to his lover’s face. “I’d love to see this face beside me for the rest of my life.”

“Sounds like you’re proposing.” Minjun chuckles as Junho brushes his nose against the older man’s cheek. “Where’s the ring?”

“It’s invisible.” 

“Make it visible someday, then.” The beeping from the heart monitor becomes faster.

“I will.” Junho promises as they share a languid kiss, enjoying this long-awaited intimacy. If Junho were attached to a heart monitor, he’s sure his would go even faster.

***

 

_Several months later_

Junho hurriedly rummages through his drawer in the bedroom while Minjun is still in the bathroom. They just came back from a fancy birthday dinner for Minjun with his parents at a restaurant. The evening was lovely, but Junho had been itchy in his seat because he had a secret gift he wanted to give to Minjun alone. Being sneaky when they live together (they are looking for a bigger house currently) isn’t that easy, but Junho managed to find a place to hide his present.

“There,” he mumbles and fishes out the envelope, hearing the bathroom door open at the same exact moment. He stands up quickly and puts the envelope into the back pocket of his black dress pants.

Minjun walks over to him, one towel wrapped around his hips, the other pressed against his hair as he dries it. When he gets close enough, he wraps that towel around Junho’s neck and drags him to the bed, grinning. Yeah, they will definitely have hot birthday sex, but Junho needs a moment to give the gift he was so worried Minjun would discover before today. It took some time and skill to plan everything.

Junho pushes Minjun on the bed, and the latter falls on his back, moving up towards the headboard. He seems eager, pulling Junho into a kiss as soon as the engineer makes himself comfortable straddling Minjun’s hips.  
Junho slides his hands up Minjun’s torso and cradles his face in his palms, dragging his tongue across Minjun’s lower lip and then slipping it inside his lover’s hot mouth, enjoying warm wetness and Minjun’s fingers in his hair. The kiss is so sensual and slow, Junho’s head almost spins.

Wait, the gift.

Junho pulls back suddenly, breathing heavily. Minjun has a quizzical look on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just want to give you a gift.”

“I thought the watch was the gift.”

Junho snorts. “Yeah, but not really. It was a decoy to distract you from the real gift.”

Minjun arches his eyebrow. “Okay, you got me intrigued now.”

“It’s in my pocket.”

“Which one?”

“You’ll have to find out,” Junho says, biting on his lower lip teasingly. Minjun grins mischievously.

“Okay.” He slides his hands up Junho’s thighs, pushing his fingers into the front pockets. “Hmm, seems empty.” Minjun’s hand casually gropes Junho’s crotch, making the latter yelp.

“That’s not a pocket!”

“Oh, I thought I felt something hard in there…” Minjun smirks devilishly.

“Idiot…” Junho shakes his head and feels Minjun’s fingers fondle his butt, clearly enjoying the action as he squeezes lightly at the flesh. “You’re really taking your time…”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Minjun chuckles and finally touches the envelope and takes it from the back pocket. He brings the piece of paper closer to his face. There’s nothing written on it. “I wonder what it is…”

“Open it,” Junho encourages him, placing his palms against Minjun’s bare chest. 

Minjun takes two pieces of paper out of the envelope and reads the information, then he looks up at Junho amused. “Tickets to Switzerland?”

“I told you I’d take you there one day.” Junho smiles at Minjun’s excitement. 

“You kept your word.” Minjun touches Junho’s hand and intertwines their fingers, both of them remembering that conversation months ago when Junho promised he’d take Minjun to Switzerland someday.

Junho glances at Minjun’s chest and his other hand travels to a faded scar, caressing it gently, remembering how scared he was back then. “Because you kept yours, it was possible for me to keep mine.”  
They look at each other, eyes reflecting sincere affection. As Junho leans down to kiss Minjun, he whispers a quiet _‘I love you’_ and receives a passionate response from his lover below. 

Junho feels safe and loved in Minjun’s arms and that’s where he wants to be every day and night. Good or bad times, Junho is sure that with Minjun, he can go far. So, he will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over... ~10 months from start to finish. I'm a sucker for happy endings haha, couldn't end it in any other way. Thank you to those who left me comments, they gave me motivation and strength to continue writing this story. If you'd like to support me you can always buy me coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/B0B19S7X


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